On 19 December 2021, Ritsumeikan University organized a program called "Pre-entrance Ritsumeikan Day" for students newly-admitted for Spring 2022. The event aims to help them get prepared for the transition to university with peers and imagine academics and life at RU.
The Joint Degree Program (JDP) also offered its pre-enrollment program for the incoming fifth-cohort Sakura Scholars on the same day. 6 students visited the campus to attend the program, while 3 students currently staying in long distances participated online.
In the beginning, the Vice Dean presented an overview of the JDP, after which the JDP Program Coordinator gave a lecture titled "A glimpse into studying Global International Relations".
During the lecture, the new admits learnt that people perceive the world through their cultural filters, and shared their thoughts on the topic. Based on learnings from the lecture, they will write an essay about to what extent culture influences International Relations.
We also invited one of the RU Sakura Scholars who are currently a first-year student to talk about her hands-on experiences as an upper-class student.
Topics ranged from student life to what she did to improve her English proficiency, which offered valuable lessons for the new admits. They continued to interact with their upper-class peer and asked her questions after the orientation.
This program proved to be a good opportunity for the newly admitted Sakura Scholars to know each other. We look forward to seeing our new students on campus in April!
