Vanessa Cortes Summer Abroad

My summer abroad has come and gone quicker than I am happy to admit. Words truly can't describe what an incredible experience traveling has been for me. Everyday mundane activities become so significant when you experience them in such a different place. I feel that I have learned so much about myself and other countries while on this journey. One piece of advice I have for those who are preparing for their journey, take advantage of every opportunity presented to you. No matter how bad your jet lag is, if you've never had a certain type of food, or maybe your curious about this new cultures style, just go for it. Each experience will leave you with a few pictures and a good story to tell. I am forever thankful for my own experiences, and would definitely recommend traveling to anyone who is even considering it. I would definitely study abroad again next summer, or at least just visit a few of my new international friends. :)

Vanessa Cortes Week 3

Week 3 has come and gone, man this experience is going by quickly! I can't believe I only have one more week left in this beautiful city. Although I can say that I didn't waste any time out here. Through fellow friends at HPU I have managed to not only see East Germany (Berlin), but I also spent a weekend in the south (Nuremburg), as well as the West (Duisburg)! On my free weekend I went to Amsterdam, and that definitely met all of my expectations. I had told myself at the beginning of this adventure that I would try to venture out and eat more exotic foods, but that really hasn't happened all that often. But I am very excited for our last week of classes because we will be visiting the Volkswagen Headquarters, and we are being led through a V.I.P. tour. Can't wait to see how this next week goes!

College Life in Tokyo

Hello everyone,
The first month in Tokyo, Japan was awesome. I definitely love the hustle bustle in Tokyo. Especially, the location is right in the district of Shibuya which is known for its pop culture and fashion. Strongly suggest you do not just go back to dorm right after school if you got some time I recommend you to walk around Omotesando, Shibuya, and Harajuku there are tons of things to explore. For example, Line store that has so many cute characters, and Calbee Store that you can try their freshly fried potatoes.


Aoyama Gakuin University is great. Their International Center and tutor are really helpful. From where is ATM, where are the classrooms to how to get discount half-year pass for train etc. Also, there is a job on campus that we can apply for as an exchange student which is the chatroom leader. A chatroom leader at Aoyama is someone to help local Japanese student with their English speaking skills and it is a good chance get to know what are the trends among Japanese students. Moreover, the welcome party held by the student life office was awesome because it is free for new exchange students and dinner is included. The welcome party is the best timing to meet other students like exchange students and degree-seeking. 

Caption: Shibuya Crossing

The class size at Aoyama is quite different compared to what we have in Hawai'i. Many lectures in Japan have around at least 100 students so as you can see in the picture below they got multiple projectors to make sure everyone can see the slides clearly.