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Meet Haruka from Japan who joined us for the Summer English Course in 2025.
What country and town are you from and where do you study?
I’m from Yokohama, Japan. It’s one of the largest cities and is located near the heart of the country.
I mainly study literature at Aoyama Gakuin University, but I proactively take classes in international relations and world history because I’m really interested in subjects connected to the world.
To support my academic journey, I always think about the importance of English proficiency.
Why did you choose to study the UCL Summer English Course?
I wanted to experience studying abroad while I’m a university student. UCL is one of the top universities in the world, and I thought that participating in this course would provide me with a valuable and unforgettable experience.
I believed this opportunity would help me explore and discover the path I want to pursue in the future.
I lived in London when I was a junior high school student because of my father’s job. At that time, I often passed by UCL, and ever since then, I have longed for the chance to study there.
Although this course lasted only three weeks, I truly wanted to experience what it is like to be a student at UCL.
What are the main differences between studying in your university and studying at UCL?
At UCL, there are many international students from all over the world, so I had opportunities to talk and build relationships with them.
Teachers always gave us time to discuss class topics. This was very useful for expanding knowledge.
First, we thought by ourselves, then we shared our opinions with others.
At my university, there are also some students from overseas, but it’s not easy to communicate with them because most classes consist mainly of Japanese students, especially in my department.
There are few chances to talk with classmates. I think this relates to the tendency of Japanese people to be basically shy.
In Japan, students prefer just listening to the class and taking notes alone rather than exchanging ideas with someone.
Do you have any personal highlights from the course and why?
My favourite topic was the history of London.
There was an academic lecture every Tuesday afternoon, so I could gain specific knowledge about each topic.
As a student in London, I thought that learning about its history was necessary, and it motivated me to study there.
In fact, the lecture was stimulating, and I wanted to know more details about it throughout the course.
One activity I remember fondly was going to see The Lion King. It was the final visit of the course, so I was really looking forward to it.
The theatre was very beautiful, and its atmosphere was romantic.
Which skills have you developed during the course?
The skill I improved most was speaking.
There were many opportunities to use English to communicate with others.
For my research project, I had a task to collect data by asking people questions in public at random.
At first, I was a little nervous, but as I worked with my group members, step by step I became less hesitant to speak to people in English.
I think it helped me greatly to improve my speaking ability.
Is there anything you enjoyed doing during your free time?
I love the city of London, so even when I just walked around, there were many things that inspired me.
Because the accommodation was in the centre of London, I was able to visit famous places easily.
I could walk to Oxford Street in about 30 minutes, and I often went there with my friends after class.
Regent Street was also nearby and is known as London’s most famous shopping street.
I enjoyed taking a double-decker bus along that street, especially in the evening. I could take many beautiful photos.
Visiting sights like the British Museum gave me precious opportunities, but doing things with the friends I made on this course was even more unforgettable.
For example, we went to cafés, had conversations and cooked dinner together.
What advice would you give to future Summer English Course students?
Before starting the course, I was worried about whether I would be able to have a valuable and fulfilling time in only three weeks.
I tried to use English everywhere and in every situation, and I soon got used to speaking it.
From this experience, I want to tell them to ‘try to speak English without hesitation’. I think it is the quickest way to improve your English skills.