The clearest lesson I brought home from my exchange at OSU was how much I still need to improve my English in order to engage with the frontiers of research and innovation. I had been abroad before and had felt that I could manage everyday conversation reasonably well, so I assumed I would be able to communicate without major difficulty. However, when I sat in on lab meetings and startup events, I quickly realized the limits of my current English ability. The technical discussions moved quickly, and I could only follow parts of what was being said. If I want to take part in these conversations, ask meaningful questions, and build lasting relationships, my English has to become much stronger. This was one of the most concrete realizations I had during the program.
OSU also allowed me to feel the scale of American universities in a way that no photo or explanation could fully convey. It was not only the size of the buildings or how well-equipped the facilities were. What impressed me was the whole ecosystem surrounding student life — Ohio Stadium, the basketball arena, the athletic spaces students use in their daily lives, and even dedicated spaces for esports. What stayed with me most was seeing OSU gear everywhere I went around town. It made me feel that the university is not just a place students pass through, but something deeply woven into the surrounding community. College sports there are not only about winning games. They connect the university’s identity, its bond with the local community, a strong culture of giving, and the rhythm of student life.
At the same time, the trip reminded me how much I had taken for granted in Japan: being able to study at a high level in my own language and live comfortably without relying on English. However, I also realized that if I want to learn, discuss, and debate alongside researchers and students from around the world, and eventually turn my work into something that reaches society, I cannot simply stay inside that comfortable environment. This program taught me three important things: that I need to strengthen my English, that there is no substitute for seeing a place with my own eyes, and that the real value of an overseas experience comes from connecting what I encounter abroad to my own research and activities.
Going forward, I want to take my English study more seriously as I move toward graduate school and future research. I also want to connect what I saw at OSU to my own interests in pedestrian flow and sports research. Rather than simply being impressed by the scale of what I saw abroad, I want to keep asking a deeper question: how do the places we build — universities, neighborhoods, cities, including those in Japan — shape the way people move, gather, and connect?
