Andrew Meyercord

Which course are you studying in?

TV Room, Aoi Hall

I started with 3 months in the Acceleration Program, and then I transferred to the SILAC program for my final 4 weeks. I finished the day before yesterday. I transferred to SILAC mainly because I planned to go home earlier than expected and so it fitted my schedule better.

What were you doing before you came to Yamasa?

I was working as a network platform operator for a tax company - basically just babysitting a lot of machines, around 2000 servers.

Did you start as a beginner?

Yes I was a complete beginner. I had never studied it or anything - I had seen some Japanese animation, that was about it.

Have you studied any languages before?

I studied Spanish for two years and studied abroad in Mexico. Japan is a lot further away of course.

What was it that started your interest in Japan

I liked the sound of the language - I thought it sounded beautiful phonetically. And I was interested in the culture of Japan and had been reading some interesting things about it. I had been interested in Japanese for a while and was looking at doing some courses at a college but my work committments etc meant that I couldn't find a suitable course. So when I got fed up with my job I decided to quit and head for Japan.

With friends at the "After-Mikoshi" party

How long did you study at Yamasa?

4 months in total.

Is this the first time you have lived in Japan?

Yes. I had never even been here before.

What are you plans after graduation?

I'm heading back to college and enroll about a week after I get home. I'm interested in computer security.

Where are you living at the moment?

I've lived in the student village in one of the single rooms since I got here.

What is your accommodation like?

Its very clean, a lot of shared facilities. Plenty of other students to interact with - I've made a lot of friends. Its also quite social but there's also a good environment for study. I mostly studied in my own room, I didn't need to use the study room on the ground floor.

How do you get to classes?

I ride a mountain bike. It takes 3 to 5 minutes depending on whether the traffic signal on route 248 is red or green.

What is the biggest challenge or problem you've faced so far in Japan?

Well the language was a hell of a challenge. Compared to learning the language, everything else pales into insignificance. The biggest problem during the last 4 months was when I went to Korea to renew my short-stay visa. I got drunk and missed my flight and so I ended up spending a week in Seoul instead of 2 days. I met 2 Japanese girls and a Korean guy who were staying at the same hostel as me and we all got plastered on the local brew. It turned out to be good Japanese practice though!

Any surprises you would like to share?

Credit cards. It was a serious problem and one I didn't expect. The overall monthly cost of living was more than expected but that was mostly because I was going out a lot more than I did back home.

If a new student was entering your class today and asked for some advice, what would you say?

If you haven't studied Japanese before then at least learn the hiragana and katakana before you come. Plus you have to get out and use your Japanese - its not enough to just speak it in the classroom, you need to practise. Most people are very patient and are prepared to listen to you.