Mr. Yuji Endo, a first year student of the Master Program of the Graduate School of Computer Science and Engineering at UoA has finished his three-month research (from September 29 - December 24) at University of South Carolina, South Carolina, U.S.A. on UoA's International Short-Term Study Program for Academic Year 2008.
Here are reports on his research and daily life in U.S.A.


After finishing his three-month research at University of South Carolina

My study-abroad experience at the University of South Carolina, USA, ended December 22 just in time for me to return to Japan for Christmas. Time since my return has gone by so quickly, so now my trip feels like it happened such a long time ago. I miss everything already. Those three months were kind of long; however, now it all seems like a dream.

I got used to the life there about one month after I had arrived. I attended classes every Monday to Thursday, had a seminar in my lab (Arena for Research on Emerging Networks and Applications) on Fridays, and then went out with friends on Saturdays and Sundays. My time was filled with many new and interesting experiences. In the laboratory, once I made a 30-minute presentation about my research to native speakers. Also in the last half of my stay, I discussed and carried out some experiments related to wireless sensor networks (my specialty) with a PhD student there. In the laboratory, I had to discuss my studies and ideas very logically and precisely in order to be understood. It was hard but a very good learning experience for me. Besides, it was worthwhile that I could help them by sharing my experiences and perspectives with them, and we could learn together by solving research problems as a team.

There were Indian, American, Chinese and people from other backgrounds too, both in the laboratory and among my friends. It was such an interesting experience to live in such a multicultural environment. Through daily conversation and communication with friends via practical English (which differs from the English in Japanese textbooks), I could realize as an actual experience that English is an essential tool in people's lives. Also I realized that there is so much variety amo