ハイ: 私は「TIU Model United Nations」の一員で、大学を代表するクラブです。MUN会談を開催し、国際的な会議にも参加しています。また「TED×TIU」にも参加しており、TEDとのイベントを開催する我が校の代表的なクラブです。同時に学生がリラックスし友人を作れ英語力の向上を目指せる環境を作るイングリッシュ・プラザのインターン生としても勤務しています。
King, A. E., Fiona A. E. M. & Brigham, S. M. (2020). Exploring the Relationship Between Student Success and Participation in Extracurricular Activities. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education 36, 1-2, 42–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/1937156x.2020.1760751
University life can be exhausting. We, students, tend to always crave adventures and it seems like 24 hours a day is not enough for us. We sometimes feel like it is almost impossible to balance every aspect of a student’s life. I, myself, am also struggling to balance my personal, social, and academic life. I can hardly give you any advice. However, what I can do is share with you a small research I did and stories of some of the excellent students in TIU who have been succeeding in balancing almost all of the aspects of a university student. If you’re interested, please continue reading!
Although joining extracurricular might seem stressful to some students, research has shown that joining extracurricular activities improves work-life balance and even academic performance. It is also said that these activities develop stronger relationships and a positive impact on self well-being and allow proactive learning (King, McQuarrie, and Brigham, 2020). Furthermore, the research also explored how extracurricular activities would improve cross-cultural awareness, especially in a diverse environment. It is clear that joining some extracurricular activities would generally improve the well-being of a student. The research also asked about the reasons why the students participated in extracurricular activities. The result pointed out that such participation is students’ strategy for coping with their personal stress and motivation, and creates a sense of belonging in their university and overall satisfaction with their university life (King, McQuarrie, and Brigham, 2020). Aside from the research, Gill (2019) gave tips on the 4 ways to balance academics and extracurricular activities. It is suggested that one’s first and foremost priority should be Academics. The second tip is developing a timetable, sincehaving extracurricular activities might cause scheduling conflicts during finals. Another tip the writer suggested is being picky about extracurricular activities. Joining clubs is fun and in case you might be interested in at least three clubs, remember that you still have other things to do. Choose what truly interests you and benefits your personal growth. Lastly, Gill emphasized on taking breaks. While having fun with extracurricular activities and getting A’s being your personal goal, overdoing it will definitely exhaust you. You could be drained and have a hard time recharging.
Aside from the research above, I also interviewed some fellow TIU students about their ways of managing schedules and maximizing life as a university student. I asked Vicky, Hai, and Annie who are all currently in their third year, from Vietnam and major in Business and Economics.
What are your extracurricular activity involvements and also part-time jobs (if you have one)?
Vicky: I am currently part of the Mellow Dolphin Club since 2019, a Jazz Orchestra band and I play piano in it. Before the pandemic, we used to perform every month. I am also currently working at a chain restaurant.
Vicky
Hai: I am part of TIU Model United Nations, a varsity club in our university. We hold MUN conferences and also participate in national conferences. I am also participating in TEDxTIU, another varsity club that organizes TEDx events. Concurrently, I am working as a university intern at English Plaza where we create an environment for students to relax, make friends and grow while using English.
Annie: I worked at Tomonokai, Co. Ltd in Tokyo Japan as an International Senior Buddy where I help synthesize cultural knowledge and prepare slides about 30 countries’ traditions for over 1000 students. I am also a virtual local buddy in ABROADER, co-founder and organizer in BETTO English Cluband EV Trust Program Coordinator. At the same time, I also work part-time in Daito Kentaku Partners as a customer service staff and interpreter.
Why did you join extracurricular activities or multiple clubs?
Vicky: For Mellow Dolphin, I joined out of curiosity. During the orientation, they were very welcoming to people and they also accept E-track students, which I found really interesting. Initially, I only knew the basics of the piano, then I was able to gradually play better and better thanks to my “senpais.” Also, I find it a great opportunity since I never had a chance to perform on stage before. For my part-time job, it helps me financially and also gives me a chance to practice my Japanese skills.
Hai
Hai: Essentially, I like things that I am already familiar with and staying in my comfort zone, which sometimes cause setbacks in self-development. I used to be bad at self-evaluating so I decided to go out there, join things I am really interested in. I joined TIU MUN since I am interested in public speaking and debate. As for the English Plaza, I joined out of a friend’s recommendation that I would have a good learning experience there. As for TEDxTIU, I joined because of my interest in TED talks and finance.
Annie: I joined extracurricular activities because it is a good learning opportunity that allows me to share my experience with other people. I also get to teach English while at the same time do volunteer work. For my part-time job, I get to experience the environment of a large corporation which will be beneficial for me in my future career.
How do you balance your university life?
Vicky: I do not have specific plans and I am very flexible though it may seem hectic. I always put academics as my top priority especially during the pre-exam period, and I always have at least 3 days off for studying and resting as well.
Hai: In reality, I do believe that you have to sacrifice something among academics, personal, and social lives. I think we just need to be good at rotating these three aspects and learn to say “no” especially when we are feeling tired or drained. Always take time to prioritize our physical and mental health and also hobbies. I do believe rest is important as a refreshment for anyone. To me, rest is when I catch up with my friends, watch movies, listen to music, and read novels.
Annie: For me, I follow the scientific way of having adequate sleep every day. It is important for me to be able to perform all of the important aspects of life at their maximum. I also set a fixed date devoting to specific extracurricular activities, studies, and other jobs. Wednesdays are solely for extracurricular activities, and the rest of the week will be allocated to other activities I am involved in.
Annie
From the interview, I realized that these people try to keep a balance between work and rest, which was also emphasized in the research. I always thought that such excellent students would sacrifice rest in order to manage their schedule wisely. But it seems that including “rest” as part of their priorities is vital. Humans cannot work non-stop and need to constantly recharge to function well. Hopefully, after reading this article, you were able to pick up some tips that can be useful. If you’re not yet a part of any club but interested to join, you can check out the school’s website or timesoftiu.comfor more information.
King, A. E., Fiona A. E. M. & Brigham, S. M. (2020). Exploring the Relationship Between Student Success and Participation in Extracurricular Activities. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education 36, 1-2, 42–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/1937156x.2020.1760751
100th Kanto Student Athletics School Championships (located in Gion Stadium) Men’s Second Division Best Player Award 10000m Run Track : First Place 5000m Run Track : First Place
You may be wondering who owns such impressive records. These running records belong to Vincent Yegon, a 3rd-year Japanese-track student at TIU, who was recently awarded MVP (most valuable player) in the 97th Tokyo Hakone Round-Trip University Ekiden Race. In this race, within 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 49 seconds, he was able to pass 14 runners.
On July 21, 2021, the Campus Globalization team met and interviewed Vincent Yegon at Sakado Campus, Training Center for all kinds of sports in TIU, to get to know more about him and his running experience.
Vincent is a Kenyan student-athlete who came to TIU to fulfill his dream of studying in Japan and join the TIU (running/track) varsity team. However, Vincent did not start out as a professional runner, but as a junior high school student with a passion for running and training himself physically. Not long after he started, his talent was “discovered” and he was told that he had the potential to compete in running races as a professional. He used to have doubts about his ability and lack confidence in his skills. Turning from a normal kid who considered running as a mere hobby, to running as a professional athlete is definitely not an easy thing to do. However, intimidating as the new path might be, Vincent did not back down and restlessly trained himself for 1-2 years, before being recruited by TIU. This opened up a new future that Vincent never imagined.
Vincent usually practices with “80%” and saves “20%” of his energy for the competition day. This may sound somewhat unconventional, and you may also be wondering why he does not give his all during training. Vincent explains that this is his own strategy to keep himself from burning out, in other words, to any sports player, it is important to always leave some energy for the competition day or else one may get drained easily.
Running is not just about physical training, it also helped Vincent nurture several qualities and crucial soft skills. After each race, his perseverance and resilience are also challenged. It urged him to set a high bar for himself and to have more confidence in himself.
During training or while running, Vincent listens to Kenyan music as it reduces tension and calms him even during stressful competition. Living in a foreign country – in an international environment – enables Vincent to be more independent and proactive. It also means that he does not get to speak his own language or listen to it very often. Therefore, what actually soothes Vincent most is none other than Kenyan music. Isn’t it healing to hear and get absorbed in the language that followed you since you were born, that your loved ones use to express how proud they are of you? I believe Vincent is very proud and thankful for his home country, the place that raised him to be who he is now–strong and humble.
Furthermore, we also asked how he balances his academic life and sports. He said, “I go by priorities and know what is important. Running is my number one priority. Prioritizing it is important because I believe I cannot continue running forever, there is a limit to it.” However, that does not mean he sacrifices his academics for running. He finds a way to manage his time wisely, and in the midst of the hectic schedule of training, he always saves time for classes and self-reflection.
We also asked about his first impression of Japan. Similar to all other students studying abroad in Japan, he recalled, “Everything from the culture, the language, and the people were totally new and so it was intimidating”. It was no doubt very challenging since he had to adapt and start everything from scratch. The journey was tough, but Vincent has been working hard every day to pursue his dream.
To end our very inspiring interview, Vincent sent some of his advice to people having a passion for sports, encouraging them to just go for it, follow what their hearts say. Indeed, following this path does not guarantee success, but at least you never need to look down or doubt yourself as you are brave enough to give it a try.
Interview held: May 19, 2021 Written by Mika Arimoto Edited by Saki Arimoto
Have you heard about the big news? The Department of E-Track International Relations has announced a newly established student-led circle under the International Relations (IR) Department — TIU International Relations Student Associations or TIUIRSA. The association aims to promote a more cohesive relationship between TIU students and their beloved professors from the IR Faculty Department.
To know more about TIUIRSA, I interviewed the president of the association, Nguyen Thi Thai Hoa, who is a 3rd-year IR major and communication member of TIU Model United Nations (TIUMUN). She was elected as the president of TIUIRSA among the 11 core members of TIUIRSA that set the foundation of the association.
Hoa joined in establishing the circle as she found it “interesting to have an academic-related platform where we can tackle issues related to IR.” She also adds that joining TIUIRSA will be beneficial for her future career.
The circle has a number of activities for its members as listed below.
Reading Group
Led by students, this is where they tackle certain topics and discuss the books they have chosen. These Reading Groups are headed by Chairs who propose their topic to the committee heads of TIUIRSA. Students who are interested to become the Chairs can apply during the beginning of the semester and propose their topics. Once approved, they can start recruiting members of the reading group.
Skill Workshops
These workshops are mostly facilitated by TIU professors which focus on important topics to TIU students. Most of these are practical skills essential to International Relations in order to promote deeper understanding of IR-related topics.
Academic Journal
This is the circle’s main project. Their goal is to publish an online newsletter that will consist of a collection of students’ research papers. This will allow not only the spread of the importance of IR but also, showcasing talents of IR students in writing and research.
Others
This semester, the circle organized an online party exclusively for IR freshmen. Through this event, students were able to interact virtually with other freshmen, as well as know the faculty members from the IR Department. Furthermore, they also had a ‘Trivia Night’ where participants’ knowledge was tested. They also plan to have more parties and field trips to widen their knowledge on the field of International Relations in the future.
TIUIRSA definitely has a lot in store for TIU students. But, who can join?
All E-Track students are welcomed! TIUIRSA believes that political issues are relevant to everyone and becoming aware of the social issues helps us to become better citizens of society. They are still working on including J-track students especially those who are majoring in IR to allow an interesting exchange of ideas between E-track and J-track students.
Hoa: There is a range of events such as reading groups, workshops, trivia nights. We highly encourage everyone to give them a try as we believe everyone can learn and also an opportunity to meet people who are interested in the same field, just try to come by.
Special thanks to Hoa for her participation in our interview! And remember to check TIUIRSA out using the contacts below.
Our university is well-known for its highly international environment that encourages more connection within the TIU community through services such as E-Plaza Team’s Peer English Practice or PEP service and J-Plaza’s Conversation Partners. Speaking of learning languages, we have a club that promotes English learning outside the classroom. This club is none other than the English Speaking Society or ESS club. I interviewed Tomoya and Kazuki, two members of the club, to share with us what ESS is.
Kazuki Saito (President of E.S.S. and English Communication Major
Tomoya Suzuki (2nd year, also English Communication Major)
According to Kazuki Saito, E.S.S. is a club that allows students from both E-track and J-track students to participate in activities like discussions and debates. He is the current president, and Caisa, an E-track student from Sweden, is the vice president. Currently, they have 50 J-Track students and 10 E-Track students.
Kazuki: We joined E.S.S. mainly to improve our English ability as knowing English will be a great advantage for good career opportunities. We also heard from our senpais about the activities which sparked an interest in us. We also thought it was a great opportunity to make friends.
Tomoya: We can tell that E.S.S. has greatly helped us with our English ability. During meetings, we do icebreakers and discussions. For discussions, we are divided into small groups where we discuss different topics such as travel, films, and the like with the use of English. These activities also allowed us to meet people not just from J-track but also from E-track. These definitely expanded our knowledge of cultures from different countries.
Annually, TIU ESS collaborates with other ESS clubs in other universities in Japan which allows them to grow their network outside the university. Furthermore, they also hold the “Freshman Speaking Contest” every year, and will take place this coming July 10.
Due to coronavirus, the club has been holding their meetings online. They have adapted to using Zoom, and experience inevitable connection problems that cause some members to sound “choppy.” On a brighter note, they found it interesting to see people’s homes abroad.
“E.S.S. is a very casual club where you can make friends and improve your English skills which will be beneficial in future careers. You will be able to maximize your university life and meet people from different countries! We meet every Tuesday and Friday 5:30-7:30 pm. We hope to see you there!”
Special thanks to Kazuki and Tomoya for participating in our interview! Lastly, to those who are interested in joining, make sure to follow their Instagram @tiu_esgram.
皆さんは国連をご存知かと思います。世界最大級の組織であり、国と国との間に建設的な議論を促す場の一つです。しかし、「模擬国連」とは何かご存知ですか？ TIUが誇る強化クラブである「TIU Model United Nations」（略して「TIU MUN」）の活動を覗いてみませんか。国際関係を専攻する4年生、そして、このクラブの会長でもあるニムロッド・パーションさんの視点から見てみましょう。
活動
TIU MUNは、国連の仕組みのシミュレーションを行う学術的な課外活動です。ニムロッドさんによると、国際的な問題、人権、気候変動などについて議論し、その解決策を探るクラブです。このようなテーマについて研究を行い、見解論文や討論を通じて話し合うので、彼らの主な活動は会議を開くことです。今まで日本大学MUN、英語MUN、全日本MUN、インドネシアMUN、ハーバード・ワールドMUNなど、さまざまな模擬国連大会に参加してきました。賞を取ったこともあります！２０１８年に大学から「理事長特別賞」を受賞することができ、このような活動ができることに大変感謝しています。
TIU MUNには3つのメンバー区分があります。一つ目は「執行部」です。執行部に会長（ニムロッドさん）と2人の副会長がいます。会長と副会長はクラブ全体のチームをリードして、物事がスムーズに進むようにします。二つ目は「役員」です。役員はクラブメンバーを繋げる重要なメンバーです。会議を開催したり、ワークショップを行ったり、メンバーのために楽しいクラブイベントを企画したりします。最後の区分は「会員」です。会員は活動に積極的に参加します。確かに上下ある組織でありますが、メンバー同士がお互いをよく知っているので、雰囲気に緊張感は無く、非常にリラックスできるものです。普段のミーティングではTIU MUNは「家族」みたいだと言われています。
Do you know the United Nations (UN)? Of course, you do. One of the largest organizations in the world, the UN is a place for fruitful discussion among countries to occur. However, do you know what the Model United Nations is? Since we do have such a club here in TIU, why don’t we take a peek into TIU Model United Nations (or TIU MUN for short)? Let us do so through the eyes of Nimrod Persson, a 4th year International Relations major and also the current president of this varsity club.
Activities
TIU MUN is an academic extracurricular varsity club that simulates how UN works. According to Nimrod, they discuss international issues, human rights, climate change, and other related global issues to find solutions and make the world a better place. They research these topics and present them through position papers and debates. Their primary activity revolves around conferences, both in hosting and participating. Up to now, they have joined various conferences such as Japan University, English MUN, All Japan MUN, Indonesia MUN, and Harvard WorldMUN. Most of the time, they returned with awards and certificates. The club was also able to receive the Chancellor Special Award from TIU in 2018, for which they are very proud and grateful.
Usually, conferences last around one week, so in order to prepare for that short period of time, they also hold workshops with experts, academic professors, and former senior members to help current members become better delegates and to learn new skills. These skills are not only beneficial for them to be an MUN delegate, but they are also helpful in later career development. Non-members can also join depending on whether the workshops are open to the public or not, although most are exclusive for members.
Structure
TIU MUN is divided into three internal departments. Firstly, there are the executives, which consists of one president (currently Nimrod) and two vice presidents. Generally, they lead the club as a group in conjunction with the officers. They oversee the club and make sure regular operations go smoothly, ensuring that officers have the necessary resources to carry out tasks. Secondly, there are the officers, or the so-called “glue” of the club. They hold everything together. They organize the meetings, manage conferences, hold workshops, and create fun activities for members. Lastly, there are the regular members, who join these activities. Despite this vertical structure, the atmosphere is very lax since they are all well acquainted with each other. During normal meetings, you can see TIU MUN as one big “family.”
Recent Developments
Recently, due to the spread of Covid-19, meetings and other matters have been handled on Discord, a platform that allows easy communication in channels of various categories for a group of people. TIU MUN does have serious categories such as conference planning and mock General Assembly. However, they also have more casual categories such as general chat, meme and videos. This allows members to have fun and get to know each other. As a result, according to Nimrod, this has made everyone become closer since they can talk to each other regardless of time, whether it be chatting or academic assistance.
Message to readers
“From personal experience, my time in TIU initially, I did not have a lot of friends and even if I had, I did not become close enough. And I consider this as a lonely time where you go to class and go home routine. My experience after finding MUN was “night and day.” I realized quickly that it was not only academic extra-curricular activity strictly serious 24/7 “constantly debating.” They are different walks of people in the club where everybody has different ideas, perspectives, experiences, and it makes a great melting-pot to meet new people that you never thought you would have met. TIU MUN gives you a great platform to make friends in a way that the classroom setting cannot provide, especially nowadays where we don’t have the means to talk since students do not go to school anymore. As the Zoom class session ends, that’s it, class is over. You tend to be alone and lonely. With this club, it became a mini-break time between classes. We check on each other on Discord to check on how the class was. It’s a great experience and a great way to make new friends and meet new people.
I would absolutely recommend people to join TIU MUN. I can promise you there will be a lot of fun along the way.”
TIU MUN is open for recruitment at the start of every semester. Non-members can also come to see how the club is. For more information, please do check their Facebook page here.
Times Of TIU 