1. Why KOSEN?!
Ever since I met my high school senior who was studying in KOSEN, I had decided to study in Japan. The senior once came on his vacation back to Mongolia with his Malaysian friend and introduced me the life and study in Japan. His talk really excited me and made my interest in KOSEN, Japan, and foreigners burst off.
The chance, the Japanese Government Scholarship, came by in 2002, when I was in Computer Science Engineering Faculty at MUST. I chose the examination for KOSEN, but not for UNIVERSITY and SENMON, since I had some understanding of KOSEN where I could have much more engineering education and practice.
Before coming to Japan, I had decided to go on to higher education because there were opportunities to continue your study in bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees. I have felt now that KOSEN graduates have more practical knowledge and independence on their own in their further studies rather than the other students in universities.
One last thing I want to mention about KOSEN is that even you could work as an engineer in Japan after your graduation, which means you would already have some knowledge and skills as an engineer.
2. Welcome to KOSEN!
After only one year language course, I transferred to SASEBO KOSEN where I studied Electro-Control Engineering for three years. The very first 3 months were honestly not easy to get used to the new environment. The local Nagasaki dialect, dormitory life, and the classes in Japanese were new. Thanks to my Japanese tutor, even now my good friend, class mates, professors, dormitory staff, and the people in Sasebo, however, I could get over the months and got used to it. They supported me in any ways; I learned from my tutor how to write my assignment in Japanese, asked him to check and correct my writings in the language. I also attended Karate club and ROBOCON club, and that helped me have fun times at KOSEN.
I especially appreciate my professor Mr. Makino, who was a former engineer for one of the biggest Japanese firms and also a KOSEN graduate, for his permanent inspiration and teaching me how interesting electro-control engineering was. He always gave us the catch phrase: "Sekibun wa Ai, Bibun wa Dream", which means "The mathematical Integral is Love, the Differential is Dream". By using the phrase, he made me understand the concept of Integral and Differential Control theory. I learned from him how to consider academic things in actual life. I here remain the phrase open to you to think it deeply.
Though KOSENs are in rural areas, the people are warm and kind, the environment is much quite focusing on your study. Also, international student division officers at any KOSEN are really kind and supportive, and create the students opportunities and appropriate environment not only for study but also for experiencing the local Japanese cultures. I have experience in ceramic, tea ceremony, and Ikebana, arranging flowers, and so on. Further, the professors, many of them are used to work in industries, and they have rich practical and theoretical knowledge. Thus, they could teach you both practical and academic knowledge.
At last, I am always proud of studying in Sasebo, Nagasaki where the first open area to the foreign countries was while Japan was the closed country in Sakoku period.
3. Be ambitious!
There is always opportunity, but do not miss it by being unaware of. Being ambitious will give you eyes. For the future KOSEN students, seek for the opportunity to attend it if you want to study both practical and theoretical engineering in Japan. To the present students, good luck for their future study or work and let us be ambitious to achieve our goals.
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