Mario Gonzalez (Spain), Second year of doctoral program

Department of Physics, International Physics Course (IPC)

I came here without any scholarships, which of course was a concern at first. There are some you can apply for from your country, but in most cases you have to start the application way before you fly to Japan. There are also some scholarships you can apply for once here, which will at least cover your entrance and tuition fees.

However, I would strongly encourage anyone planning on coming here without financial support to consider looking for a part-time job. I did work part-time in a restaurant during my first one and half years here, and that has undoubtedly been one of my best experiences in Japan. I made many friends and became a lot better at cooking and learned a lot of Japanese while working. Of course, you might need some Japanese to apply for a job, so focusing on studying the language during your first 2~3 months in Japan is something I would also recommend, particularly if you come knowing almost nothing, as I did.

If you don’t want to work part-time, but still want to socialize outside your lab, I would also strongly recommend joining one of the cultural or sports clubs at the University. That has also been a fantastic experience in my case, and a big part of the reason why I decided to continue here after finishing my Master’s.

I think most of the science students that graduate in Japan can work in any country after graduation. That is particularly true in particle physics, so I don’t feel like having any academic constraints to stay here after the PhD. However, I feel that now I am very well integrated into Japan, with a better Japanese and many good friends I have made over the years. That is actually why I am considering staying here for some more time after I graduate.

<Notes>
These articles were posted as they were written by the students. The student’s grade is as of the time the article was written in March 2023