You never realize how unique your own university is until you go to another campus.
Sophia University’s campus, although quaint is nothing in comparison to stretching roads and looming architecture of UBC and while we may complain about the fountains the shoddy signs and the seemingly never-ending era of construction, after seeing another campus, you realize just how beautiful your campus or at least, how much you’ve become accustomed to your home university. Sophia is by no means ugly, no. The place is clean and welcoming straight from the main gates. With a mixture of modern and traditional architecture and rows of trees to draw you inside, Sophia has a charm that it can be proud of among the busy streets of Tokyo.
However, with a slight exaggeration I have to admit, I can say that I can see the other end of the campus from the other. Of course, there are blessings to be found in that. No more are the tiring days where walking or sprinting from class was enough to call my daily workout. Also, there are downsides. No more are the days where moving between classes was enough to call my daily workout. I’ll have to find some other way to exercise. Eventually. Maybe. In my dreams.
When I’m “tired and sweaty” from my leisurely strolls between periods, there is an absolutely lovely place in Sophia I can relax in. On top of Building No 2. and connected to the cafeteria, is a terrace. Although usually busy during the allotted lunch time (12:30-1:00), if you move up there during any other time, you can usually find a seat to study, eat and bask in the sunlight. From there, the streets in Yotsuya stretch before you parallel to the hopefully blue sky above. It’s a beautiful place and if you do go on exchange here, make sure to come here at least once.
But, I do miss UBC. The more I think about it, the more I realize the truth of UBC’s moniker as a “city within a city.” It truly is and while Sophia may not be a city or even a small hamlet, it has the atmosphere of a secluded district. Except this district is filled with students. Did I mention how many pretty people are here? It’s too much for me. I can’t. Everyone’s beautiful and sparkling. Save me. SEND H E L P.
Sophia is teeming with student life and although it may not seem like it at first glance, activity is boundless. Student clubs (or circles, as the Japanese call them) run events constantly and books and trinkets are sold near one of the sitting areas. A truck filled with boxed lunches parks here everyday (I believe) to appease the hungry horde and the sports grounds are bustling with the Sharapova-shouts. Sophia has a culture just like UBC. Likewise, UBC has a culture of its own. I think it’s somewhat unfair to compare the two, to be honest and I think, in order to fully appreciate your host school, you need to embrace their differences, embrace their similarities and find comfort in that interesting, fantastic dissonance.
