[PastGress Business School Special Edition] Studying Abroad in the US Part 2: How I Overcame My Most Difficult Class
Hello! Welcome to PastGress Business School. This is the second installment of our special series on study abroad know-how, brought to you by an author who graduated with a degree in Business Finance from a state university in North Carolina, USA.
Last time, I talked about "English preparation before departure," but this time we are finally getting into the real experience on-site. I will talk about "a difficult class that I found most desperate and struggled to overcome" during my time studying abroad.
I hope this will be a hint for those who are about to study abroad or those who are currently overwhelmed by classes on-site.
1. The biggest wall during study abroad. That is "Business Law"
When you enter a business school, the one class you cannot avoid is "Law." The class I took was one where we learned about "Contract Law" and "Employment Law" used in business.
This was, without a doubt, the class I understood the least during my study abroad life.
Why was it so difficult? It was because it went beyond the level of simply "not understanding English."
2. The despair of the triple threat: I couldn't understand the meaning in English or Japanese
Last time, I told you to "look up unknown words in English (English-English dictionary) as much as possible." However, that rule did not apply in this law class.
The technical terms were too difficult
Even when I looked them up in an English-English dictionary, I didn't even understand the English used in the explanation
Even when I swallowed my pride and looked them up in Japanese, I wasn't familiar with Japanese legal terminology, so I couldn't understand what it was saying at all...!
At that time, convenient AI (like ChatGPT) was not yet widespread as it is today. Facing the thick textbook in front of me, I was completely at a loss.
3. Survival Strategy ①: Swallow your pride and charge into "Office Hours"
Thinking, "If I keep going like this, I will definitely fail the course," I felt a strong sense of crisis. The action I took was waiting for the professor during office hours (question time).
I made an appointment, charged into the professor's office, and just kept asking questions. There were piles of problems I didn't understand even after being explained once, but that was the time to show my "proactivity." I kept asking questions persistently until I understood, saying, "Professor, I am truly sorry. But I want to understand, so please explain it to me one more time."
Professors won't turn away a student who is desperately trying to keep up. This "spirit of not leaving until I understand" became my first breakthrough.
4. Survival Strategy ②: Grittily collect "Extra Points"
Despite my desperate efforts, the results of the midterm and final exams were the cold reality of a "B (or C)," just barely passing.
In American universities, if your GPA (grade point average) drops, it becomes a life-or-death issue regarding graduation and scholarships. Judging that "test scores alone are not enough," I read the syllabus (course outline) from cover to cover.
What I set my sights on was "Extra Credit" (opportunities to earn bonus points by participating in extracurricular activities, etc.).
I participated in every extracurricular activity I could find, such as volunteer work and designated on-campus events that offered extra credit, going beyond the scope of the class. I desperately tried to make up for my poor test scores with "bonus points" earned through sheer volume of effort.
As a result, I somehow managed to pass the class safely.
You don't have to be smart; those who work hard and get their hands dirty are the ones who win.
While studying abroad, you will inevitably hit a wall that you cannot overcome on your own. At those times, what is important is not solving things smartly, but having the "ability to survive by any means necessary, even if it's not pretty."
If you don't understand, take up as much of the professor's time as you can.
If you fail a test, work hard to scrape together bonus points.
If there is anyone currently feeling hopeless while studying abroad, please reread your syllabus and knock on your professor's office door. A path will surely open up for you!
The next installment of the U.S. study abroad series will bring you even more realistic experiences. Stay tuned!