Rumittar is a four-year undergraduate student at ICU who is receiving a scholarship from the JICUF. Enjoy her interview!

JICUF: Please tell us about yourself.

RRM: My name is Rumittar Rosere Maria and I’m from Indonesia. I came to ICU in September 2015, I’m currently a second year in the University! I plan to take double major, where my first major is psychology and my second major is either business or media, communication and culture (MCC).

JICUF: Why did you decide to study at ICU?

RRM: ICU has the balance between tuition fee and education quality. In my point of view, ICU provides a high quality education comparable to institutions in other first world countries at a more attainable price. In addition, ICU also has the balance between study, work and fun. I have the time to be part of a club,as well as hold a part-time job while studying at ICU. There is enough time to do other activities that interests me, both on and off campus.

JICUF:  How is your life at ICU so far? What do you like about it?

RRM: I love it here! One of my favourite things about ICU is the campus layout. There are a lot of green areas as well as areas to sit down and study. It’s not only limited to the library and the cafeteria, there are other places that you can sit with your friends to study together. The landscape creates a refreshing feeling that can relax you when you feel stressed!

JICUF: Have you encountered any difficulties?

RRM: There are difficulties anywhere. In ICU, I found that my biggest difficulty remains socializing with the Japanese students. Excluding the returnee students who are admitted in September, I find it very difficult to join conversations or do activities with Japanese students. Rather than because of language or cultural barrier, it is because we don’t have a lot of opportunities to “play” together. Since I live off-campus, it is difficult to interact with the Japanese students unless I live in the dormitories. However, because I am taking more classes that are taught in Japanese, I hope that I can make some new April friends!

JICUF: What classes are you taking? Have you joined any student clubs/circles?

RRM: This term, I’m taking two business foundation courses and two MCC foundation courses taught in English. In addition, I have a psychology area major class and futsal (physical education class) taught in Japanese. As for club activities, I was very immersed in the club culture during my first year. I joined a dance group called “Smooth Steppers” and participated in their performances as well as practices. For now though, since I am quite busy with my part-time job more than last year, I decided to quit the dance group and join ICU’s swim team instead. We practice at our own pace for our enjoyment rather than for intense competitions!

JICUF: What do you hope to achieve during your time at ICU? What would you like to do after graduation?

RRM: By the end of my time at ICU, I hope to have had the chance to explore fields that I’m interested in. Not only in terms of academics, but also in terms of hands-on experience within the field. I also want to improve my Japanese skills in all aspects. It will be a particularly prominent skill if I wish to work in Japan after graduation.

After graduation, I want to work in Japan for a couple of years. Either working in a company or working in the Tokyo 2020 olympics, I would like to make use of my Japanese skills and experience working in Japan before moving to another country.

JICUF: Thank you Rumittar! We hope you will achieve all of your goals at ICU and beyond!