Student Voice: [ISSE]Embrace the chance to make mistakes!

Welcome to the Student Voice series. The series interviews students in our English-medium programs. We hope these interviews can be helpful to you when thinking about choosing to come to Ritsumeikan University (RU). 

Post by International Admissions Office

Guhan from India

Computational science and robotics have always been eye-catching concepts for me, ever since my childhood, in some way or another. Growing up in the early 2000s around mechanical hard drives, CDs, and floppy disks, computers and the Internet have always fascinated me. Throughout my life, I got different opportunities to mess around with computers, either at a hardware or a software level, deepening my interests. Seeing technology evolve in front of my eyes throughout my 20 years of life, I have been very keen on experimenting in different ways with computers and servers. All the curiosity combined with the access to these machines eventually became an addiction and is now my field of interest!
Prior to Ritsumeikan, I pursued my diploma in mechatronics engineering. During my time there, I was drawn to the Japanese language and got an opportunity to learn it. While I was preparing myself to be a fully self-competent engineer, I also fell in love with robotics and electronics. After its completion, having multiple domains of interest, I was struggling to find an undergraduate program that suited my interest. Being a very practical person, I was interested in programs that were more hands-on, project and research-based, and I found that the ISSE course at RU perfectly matched my description. I understood that ISSE's curriculum had the perfect balance between all my interests and the practical exposure I was hoping for. As a person who wanted to live in Japan for a long term, I felt that pursuing my undergraduate degree at Ritsumeikan would be a beautiful opportunity to experience Japanese culture, food, and most importantly, the access to amazing professors, an environment, and advanced laboratories to continue my future studies in.

About your studies...

Give us an overview of your studies and course schedule from your first year to now.

At first, when joining RU, having the freedom to select subjects from my interests of study allowed me a wider view of my future prospects in this course. The first semester contained fundamental subjects covering the basics of calculus, programming, and computational science, while on the other hand, I also had subjects that went over epistemology and ethics in the science field, which peaked my interest at that time. Now, currently being at the end of my second semester, I have progressively started enjoying the subjects that are being provided. This semester contained a more practical set of courses, including Project-Based Learning (PBL-2), Introduction to Java, and Boolean Algebra. In addition to these courses, the free liberal education system allowed me to participate in a cultural exchange class, Cross-Cultural Encounters, which also allowed me to learn more about other cultures and improve my Japanese as a whole.

Find out more about the ISSE curriculum

If you have engaged in any internships, please share your experience.
What were your responsibilities? What did you learn from that experience?

Throughout my educational and professional career, I got the opportunity to intern at two different companies for a period of a year in research and development.
At my first company, I was assigned as a research and development intern in a major large-scale IIoT 4.0 project where I worked in all of the development teams, all the way from mechanical and product design to PLC and robotics programming. Here, I was able to widen my knowledge on manufacturing systems, HMIs, robotics, and automation. In the second company, I had the responsibility of developing a fully automated quality control tool for their product. Throughout my time in the company, I worked in the manufacturing lines to understand the assembling process, and I was under the repair team to familiarize myself with the internals of the product. Finally, by working at the research and development department, I was able to grow my knowledge on electronic design, soldering, low-level programming, communication systems, and IoT. 

 

 

 

In ISSE, students join engineering projects from the first year. Which project(s) have you found the most interesting so far? What was the project about, and why was it interesting to you? If you have already chosen your lab, please tell us about your lab.

Currently in my second semester, as a part of my Project-Based Learning course (PBL-2), I belong to a team of 3 in the VINE Lab (Visual Information Engineering Laboratory) creating a virtual reality-based physics simulator to help visualize and make physics easier to understand for high school students.
While my team and I were allowed to select a project, many ideas came to mind, but doing a project just for the sake of passing the course was the furthest from our intentions. We wanted to create an innovative project that would address hidden issues in the education system and help people learn a subject as a practical concept and not as a theoretical application of random ideas and equations. My team and I planned to develop this project beyond the course under the lab to make it available to all educational institutions and to be used as a tool to support their teachings.
To say a few words about my lab, after working countless hours on projects on and off class hours, thanks to all the facilities and the freedom I was provided as part of the lab, I was able to meet a lot of great students from various courses and graduate schools! VINE has become my home and would be my first choice when my time comes to select my laboratory. Out of all the labs, VINE personally stood out to me, especially because of the type of projects that are being developed there. I am very grateful to my professors, Chandler and Nicko sensei, who were always open to my ideas and were always supportive to our team, even during our lows. Thanks to their guidance, the project is going strong!

Find out more about Laboratories

 

Preparing for a presentation with group members 

 

What are your plans after graduation? How has your study experience at Ritsumeikan University inspired or influenced your future career or aspirations?

Currently, I am planning on pursuing a master's degree after the completion of my undergraduate course here. I would like to move around Japan and study at various other universities in the future. Ever since I landed in Japan, I have been living in Kansai (west Japan), making me a complete Kansai person, but I would also like to get to know all the different cultures that are spread across this land, especially in Kanto (east Japan).  Academically, my study at Ritsumeikan has influenced and helped me streamline my future plans to a greater extent. 

 

 

About Campus life...

Do you engage in any extracurricular activities?

Outside of my academic pursuits, I actively participate in the Language Exchange Program organized by the Beyond Borders Plaza (BBP). This program provided me with a fantastic opportunity to enhance my Japanese language skills in a practical and interactive setting. Through regular conversations with native speakers, I’ve not only gained a deeper understanding of the language but also developed cultural insights that go beyond textbooks. Additionally, the program has allowed me to build meaningful connections with Japanese peers, fostering friendships that enrich my social and cultural experiences. These interactions have been invaluable in boosting my confidence and fluency in Japanese while deepening my appreciation for the culture.

In addition to these language and cultural engagements, I make the most of my free time whether between academic commitments or over the weekends by immersing myself in Japan's breathtaking natural landscapes. I have taken up hiking as a way to explore the country’s scenic mountains, hidden trails, and tranquil nature spots. Each journey has offered me a sense of discovery, revealing its serene beauty and the subtle wonders of Japan’s richly diverse environment. These excursions not only serve as a refreshing retreat from the academic routine but have also helped me deepen my connection with the land, allowing me to experience firsthand the harmony between nature and culture that defines much of Japanese life.

 

Find our more about the Beyond Borders Plaza (BBP)

 

 

 

Tell us about dorm life. 

When I first joined RU, I was accommodated in the Ritsumeikan I-House, and living in there was one of the best decisions of my life! This was the first time I moved out of my home country and settled down separately. Luckily, being in the dorm, I never really felt homesick. I always wanted to experience some kind of international exposure, and I got that at I-House. I met many people from different countries and made several friends throughout my time there. Moreover, the managers at the dorm were always welcoming and kind and made it feel like a second home. Now, I have sadly moved out with my stay period expired, but throughout my time there, I made countless memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life!

Find out more about the International Dorm

 Trek with OIC Roommates