On Saturday morning, I sat the last exam of my degree course. Even better, I’m pretty confident that I’ve done well in all my exams this semester. As it stands on results so far, I’m just a couple of percentage points off a 1st class degree, which is a lot more than I deserve!

College has been a fun ride for the most part. In first year, the Japanese language class was close to 20 (perhaps more, I’ve a hazy memory), and its dwindled down to the remaining 7. All too often it looked like I was next to get the chop, as I took apathy towards exams to a very high level  - especially during the first two years.

In 3rd year, I lived and studied in Kyoto for a year. The year was life-changing in many ways, and it definitely changed my attitude towards college. I had failed my second year exams, and failed the repeats of my second year exams, but as luck would have it, I would be in Japan when that fact was discovered. By the grace of my DCU lecturer, I was allowed to stay in Kyoto for the year, and face repeats again upon my return to DCU.

College life in Japan was a bit mad. 3 hours of continous Japanese classes every day (broken only by a quick run to the combini for a curried rice or onigiri) and additional classes after that was a timetable I was not used to! And attendance was compulsory too, if I didn’t attend 80% of my classes, I failed straight away.

I struggled through, and the subsequent 50 minute lectures in DCU seemed a doddle. Whats more, I was no longer learning a language I had only a passing interest in. Now i was motivated by a new-found love of Japan.

And now I’m finished my four years, and heading back to Japan. Woohoo!