Information
Student Voice: Kevin Näckel, Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Academic Experience
“I think the best part of AIU for me has been the Japanese classes. This is a place where you can really study and improve.”
Photo courtesy of Kevin Näckel
I think the best part of AIU for me has been the Japanese classes. This is a place where you can really study and improve.
I started in Japanese 300 Core class, and I’ve taken 305, 307, and now 402 [24 credits]. I’m also taking the Writing, Speaking, and English to Japanese Translation class this semester. I took Reading and Pronunciation skill classes in the past.
The classes are small. I have 12 students in my core 402 class and no more than 8 in the others, so we get a lot of focused attention from the teachers. I talked to other students who’d been to AIU before, and they told me about these conditions in advance, so I was looking forward to that.
Housing: Komachi Hall
I’ve lived in Komachi Hall my whole time here and I’ve always had a Japanese roommate. Since all first-year degree students have to live in Komachi, every international student I know in there has a Japanese roommate. Komachi is really nice for the exchange and besides, it’s very cheap to live there!
“Meeting the EU Ambassador was definitely one of my most noteworthy experiences at AIU.”
Photo courtesy of Kevin Näckel
Activities: AIU Festival
The AIU Festival was an amazing event- we don’t have anything like that in Germany. It was really impressive to see how much work the students put into the festival and how many different activities there were!
I went to a similar festival at a much larger university in Japan, but they had only a few food booths outside, no buildings open to tour, and not much student participation. I think that the AIU Festival was a great example of the students’ enthusiasm and effort here.
Academic Experience
“I think the best part of AIU for me has been the Japanese classes. This is a place where you can really study and improve.”
Photo courtesy of Kevin Näckel
I think the best part of AIU for me has been the Japanese classes. This is a place where you can really study and improve.
I started in Japanese 300 Core class, and I’ve taken 305, 307, and now 402 [24 credits]. I’m also taking the Writing, Speaking, and English to Japanese Translation class this semester. I took Reading and Pronunciation skill classes in the past.
The classes are small. I have 12 students in my core 402 class and no more than 8 in the others, so we get a lot of focused attention from the teachers. I talked to other students who’d been to AIU before, and they told me about these conditions in advance, so I was looking forward to that.
Housing: Komachi Hall
I’ve lived in Komachi Hall my whole time here and I’ve always had a Japanese roommate. Since all first-year degree students have to live in Komachi, every international student I know in there has a Japanese roommate. Komachi is really nice for the exchange and besides, it’s very cheap to live there!
“Meeting the EU Ambassador was definitely one of my most noteworthy experiences at AIU.”
Photo courtesy of Kevin Näckel
Activities: AIU Festival
The AIU Festival was an amazing event- we don’t have anything like that in Germany. It was really impressive to see how much work the students put into the festival and how many different activities there were!
I went to a similar festival at a much larger university in Japan, but they had only a few food booths outside, no buildings open to tour, and not much student participation. I think that the AIU Festival was a great example of the students’ enthusiasm and effort here.