Blogger Maya Goto gets out of her comfort zone and experiences university life

I joined the Japanese Club at UNR

As a two-year college student, I sometimes wonder what university life looks like, considering its large scale, more students, and higher cost. :) Ever since I arrived, I have been an active member of the Japanese club (JSAN) at the local university, the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR).

It's more than just a club; it's a community where Japanese and American cultures intersect. We share experiences like Omatsuri festivals and Karaoke nights from Japan, as well as activities like hiking and poker nights … stuff like that. JSAN has been a fantastic opportunity for me to expand my social circle beyond Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC), attracting members ranging from 18-year-olds to alumni.

Club meeting hike

One of the most memorable club meetings I attended was a hike in March. We hiked from the UNR campus to the mountain with a letter “N” (there is an actual letter “N” shape on the side of the mountain that is a local reference point), and it took us a total of two hours. During the hike, I had the chance to converse with many UNR students, sharing stories and experiences. I was glad to talk with people who had either arrived in the U.S. earlier or were attending different colleges, sharing insights and tips for success from diverse perspectives.

A fun festival of games day

Another exciting event was the Sports Festival at San Rafael Regional Park in April. We gathered in the afternoon and were divided into groups first, each represented by a color. To foster teamwork, we drew some illustrations on our faces. The festival kicked off with a game of dodgeball, where I experienced the American version of the game, quite different from what I was accustomed to back in Japan. After dodgeball, we moved on to the next sport, volleyball, which was such a hot game, as we cheered each other on to victory. After volleyball, we did relay racing using batons. Each person was in charge of about 200 meters (admittedly, it was quite the endurance test!).

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the Pankui Kyousou, a race involving eating mini-donuts (since we couldn't find buns) suspended above us. This is quite a unique game that we only see in sports festivals in Japan called Undoukai, where we attempt various techniques, including jumping, to get the donuts.To cap off the day, we had an award ceremony while enjoying pizza — a perfect ending — It’s like both my stomach and heart are full.

Experiencing UNR student life

During spring break, I had the opportunity to attend classes at the University of Nevada, Reno as a pre-UNR student. I participated in Economics, Marketing, and Statistics classes. The scale of these classes was significantly larger than what I was accustomed to at TMCC, and I strolled around campus a lot between each class meeting. Since I am planning to transfer to UNR after completing my education at TMCC, this experience provided invaluable insight into what real university life looks like. It feels good to get out of my comfort zone, belong to different social groups during my time as an international student in the U.S. How are you getting out of your comfort zone and meeting new people?

Mai (Maya) Goto from Japan is studying business at Truckee Meadows Community College.