People say Japanese people are diligent, work endlessly, their work ethic is insane and all – but I didn’t expect it to be THAT insane. My PBT life was days with long hours of study followed by piles and piles of homework to complete, then a total of close to 3 hours of commuting. It is not common that I show up half awake. But looking back, this process of “mindset training” has set me up to be mentally stronger and set my standards higher than it used to be, demanding myself to be among the elites, the best-of-the-best.
Besides, the class environment was always positive and lively. My classmates were friendly, and we could talk about anything we wanted. When you spend more than half a day stuck in a room for 2 years with someone else, chances are close relationships would be built, and if things get in line couples would be a possibility too which, in my batch there were a few.
Also, I was a science stream student during my secondary school years, I transitioned into arts in PBT and I never regretted. I realized that this is more enticing to me than science and I now have dreams of working in the political field, much thanks to my social studies teacher.

Living in Japan has taught me many things, and the biggest change I’ve experienced is that I now know how to cook. I went from 18 years of not touching kitchen tools, to now thinking of what to cook for dinner everyday. Cooking your own meal saves money especially in Japan where eating outside costs more. Paying rent and bills also quickly became a big part of my responsibility, as now I have to do them by myself. Being an independent person has greatly shaped my personality today, and I am sure it will take me long way down the road.
Making friends is also a big part of keeping me positive. As the leader of my school’s English Club, I got to know many friends. I belong to the International Studies faculty, which has numerous students from overseas. We know each other very well and we could learn about each other’s culture.

PBT is the best school I’ve ever attended. My life has truly transformed for the good the moment I decided to not enroll into local universities but choose another route, a truly uncommon and weird one – to learn the Japanese language and further my studies in Japan. It was nothing but positive and fantastic experience for me despite all the challenges I had to face, and I think everyone would be benefited if we all have the opportunity.