Master thesis in Tokyo, Japan

My name is Ole Marius Norderud and I am a master's student in "System Engineering with Embedded systems" at USN, Campus Kongsberg. I was on an exchange at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan on an Erasmus + scholarship.

NB: The study is now called Computer Science.

Jeg hadde muligheten å bo på studenthus sammen med andre studenter som gikk på Sophia University, men jeg var veldig heldig og fikk tilbud av en venn jeg kjente på en enebolig som var ca. like langt fra skolen til en rimeligere pris. Jeg kunne tenkt meg å bo på studenthuset jeg også og jeg tror det hadde vært en veldig naturlig måte andre studenter, hvis man synes det kan være vanskelig å ta kontakt å lete etter venner. For meg ble det mer en utfordring å bo helt for seg selv i et land man ikke er kjent med, og det var ganske spennende i seg selv. Til tider kunne det bli litt ensomt, spesielt siden universitetet ble stengt og jeg måtte holde meg for det meste hjemme pga. Korona-pandemien. I disse tidene tror jeg det kunne vært bedre i et studenthus.

I had the opportunity to live in a student house with other students who went to Sophia University, but I was very lucky and got an offer from a friend I knew in a detached house that was just as far from school at a cheaper price. I would like to stay at the student house myself and I think it would have been a very natural way for other students, if one thinks it can be difficult to get in touch to look for friends. For me, it became more of a challenge to live alone in a country you are not familiar with, and it was quite exciting in itself. At times it could be a little lonely, especially since the university was closed and I had to stay mostly at home due to the Corona pandemic. In these times, I think it could have been better off in a student house.

There are a lot of things that stand out in Japan, compared to all the other countries I have been to. They have kept many traditions and have not been influenced so much by other countries. I thought this was one of the most exciting things about living there. Even though there were such big differences, I never felt particularly uncomfortable and it seemed that they took into account that you did not come from Japan and did not always do it the "Japanese way".

Some tips for exchange students going to Japan
- Always wear a mask when you are out (especially on the train).
- Do not talk on the phone on the train.
- Get yourself a "Pocket Wifi". Very convenient when traveling around Tokyo. Then you always have access to the internet. There is usually Wifi at all train stations and the subway in Tokyo, but when walking around the city it is much more convenient to bring a pocket wifi.
- Always have a power bank with you. Running out of power on your mobile in a city as big as Tokyo that you are not so well known in is not recommended. Especially after a trip out on the town and you have to get home in the morning without electricity on your mobile is not a fun experience, something I myself had to do a couple of times.

My situation was a little different than most exchange students since I did not take any "subjects" at university, but I was there to write my master's thesis. I worked mostly for myself, as I had my own small office in the Computer Science department at Sophia University. I had two supervisors, Tad Gonsalves from Sophia University and Aurilla Aurelie Arntzen from USN. Tad Gonsalves had the idea for my thesis and that was my closest contact when it came to my studies. In the class I shared the lab with, there were both bachelor, master and PHD students. These students were very welcoming and seemed happy to receive an exchange student and I became good friends with several of those in my class. Although not everyone was fluent in English, they did their best to help if needed. They also invited me to social activities in my spare time. I also studied Japanese during my stay, and it was quite difficult to begin with. But as I learned, I found it more and more exciting to be able to understand what other people were talking about and it became easier to get in touch with new people.

I highly recommend taking exchanges in Japan. It was an unforgettable experience and I would not trade it for anything. The scariest part of the exchange for me was the period before I left, especially flying alone to a completely foreign country. It was the first time I had flown alone, and I was very stressed that I would lose a plane and that my luggage arrived, since I had 2 stopovers. But after the flight and I arrived in Japan, most of the uncertainty was gone. Of course, there were some challenges along the way, but it always worked out and you learn an incredible amount about both yourself and other people.

I chose to stay in Japan 4 months longer than my agreed exchange, to continue working on my master's thesis and because I enjoyed living there so much. I received help from the International Department and Tad Gonsalves to extend my stay in Japan.