Hi there!
My name is Raydeen. I’m from the United States, more specifically Oregon. I’m here in Japan as an exchange student at Aoyama Gakuen University. In Oregon, I go to Oregon State University were I’m majoring in History. I haven’t decided yet what I want to focus on. As an undergraduate student I want to get a general understanding of world history. Then when I get into graduate school I will decide on a focus.
At my university back in Oregon, I worked at an English language school for foreign exchange students. All new exchange students have to spend at least one term in this program before they fully enter the University system. I really enjoyed meeting people from all over the world. While I was working there I helped students with computers, checking out books, or answering general questions.
Right now I’m taking a break from history classes and to focus on Japanese. It’s been great for me to get a chance to just study Japanese. Through out my years of Japanese study I’ve always had to balance Japanese study and my other classes. While I’m here in Japan I get to focus on Japanese. I’ll be here for about a year. I’m hoping that my Japanese improves a lot.
While I’m here in Japan I enjoy going out with my boyfriend and other Japanese friends to restaurants, bars and coffee shops. I really like good food, and good drinks. I’ve been to some great restaurants here in Japan and I look forward to finding some more. I love going hiking and the outdoors. In high school I ran cross-country and track. Although, I don’t run competitively now, I do run from time to time. I like being out in nature. I’m looking forward to this summer, because I’ll get a chance to get outside of Tokyo and go hiking and exploring.
I look forward to meeting you and talking with you about a variety of topics and helping you improve your English skills. For most people the hardest part of speaking English is that they don’t have confidence. I hope that you will feel comfortable talking in this group setting. It’s a great place where you can build up your confidence. See you next time.