Episode
The eight competencies developed at Ritsumeikan Academy.
We introduce how they are developed through daily experiences, along with diverse episodes.
*These episodes are based on responses actually submitted by students at every level of education—including elementary, junior high, and high school students, as well as university and graduate students—in the Quantitative Survey for Ritsumeikan Academy Competency Framework conducted in the 2024 academic year. Information that could identify individuals has been removed or modified before publication.
Competency
Episode
- Classes
- StudyAbroad
- ExtracurricularActivities
- ClubsAndSocieties
- StudyingOutsideOfClass
- Research
- SchoolEvents
- ExtracurricularLessons
- Community
- Family
- FriendsAndPeers
- TeachersAndMentors
- Goals
- Effort
- Achievement
- Growth
- Collaboration
- SeekingAdvice
- GivingUp
- Worries
- Happiness
- Anxiety
- Confidence
- Change
- EntranceExamsAndQualifications
- JobHuntingAndInternships
- PartTimeJobs
My friends tell me that I need to see things from different angles when things are difficult.
Understanding
I feel like this past year, and specifically these past 2 semesters, a lot have happened to me. I took on harder courses and I had to move out of the dorm and navigate house-hunting and moving as an international student with low Japanese proficiency. Additionally, I faced a few relationship struggles and had to cut off a few friends due to conflicts in mindset and their behaviors. All of these struggles were happing around June to August - also a time in which mid-terms and finals at school were conducted. I was very stressed, about school, finding a part-time job, finding a house and dealing with toxic friends. Retrospectively, I am impressed I was able to pull myself through such situations. I suppose I could do so by setting more realistic academic goals after periods of burnout, looking for help for house-hunting from Japanese-proficient friends and talking to - cutting off toxic friends. My life and my decisions during this period, has reinforced my resilience as an international in Japan.
Resilience
Before joining university I attended a Japanese comprehensive high school which ment that I didn't have many chances or opportunities to work as a team so I didn't have much experience working in groups. The first few times that I worked in a group I didn't know what to do and I could say wasn't a very good team member and might have brought my team down. I asked a friend on how to work better in groups and they told me that I had to listen and try to communicate better. After doing this I saw a big increase in the efficiency of my work while in a group and I became a better team mate.
Teamwork
I did my best in giving and receiving advice from others especially in classes like programming and PBL.
Teamwork
In my first year in Ritsumeikan University, I was assigned to proficient classes based on my English language skills. However, as a fresher in a very new environment, it was very hard for me to carry out my course works to my best abilities. My struggle in completing my research work was especially hard on me leading me to feel mentally drained and anxious. However, my professors have guided me and prepared me for the next step in my academic journey. Their advice, counseling and guidance has made me learn from my failure and helped me be resilient beyond I could ever imagine.
Resilience
I realized the competency that i had acquired was resilience was during the time around my exams. During the exam period there were many things that i had to study and i didn't know what to do. Instead of giving up and just failing the exams or getting a bad score, I continued to study hard and asked my professors, seniors and friends when i didn't understand something. I am someone who usually finds it hard to concentrate on tasks so this was very difficult to me. By asking my teachers and not giving up in the early stages I got good scores on my exams and i hope that translates to a good grade at the end of the semester.
Resilience
People helped me decide whats best for me and what I need to do and when I need to do it, mostly seniors and other friends who have more experience than me.
Empathy
When my friends asking me for advice, I can see how I can put myself in their shoes as before I find it difficult to think emotionally.
Empathy
During my final year of high school, I faced significant academic pressure while preparing for IB exams, which included moments of failure and self-doubt when my efforts didn’t yield the desired results. One instance was receiving disappointing feedback on a major project I had worked hard on, which initially left me feeling defeated. However, instead of giving up, I reflected on the feedback, sought help from my teachers, and focused on improving step by step. Through persistence and learning from my mistakes, I not only improved my project but also developed the resilience to bounce back stronger from setbacks. This experience taught me that failures are opportunities for growth, shaping my ability to tackle challenges with determination and adaptability.
Resilience