This semester, I decided to attend Calligraphy lessons for my CIP activity. In these classes, my teacher would give me kanji, kana, and hiragana practice, and walk me through all of the details that go into creating a beautiful piece. I found the class to be incredibly rewarding, despite the challenge of writing in such a precise manner. My teacher helped me learn the importance of patience, and taking time to slow down to fully understand each step in the process. From her class, I’ve taken time to emphasize the importance of patience in every aspect of my study abroad experience.

Therefore, my advice to incoming students would be to slow down. It’s tempting to rush into the excitement of a new experience, eager to do everything perfectly, but the learning process requires time. No matter what you do, take the time to deeply understand what you’re learning, and you’ll see yourself improve even faster!