スクリプトは事前提出されたものですので、ビデオの音声とは異なる場合があります。

Don’t Be Afraid to Try Something New:
Overseas Internship Made Me Grow Up

Tokyo National College of Technology

A: Hello everyone. We are from Tokyo National College of Technology. I'm Nishimura.
B: Nakagawa.
C: And Hayashi.
B: First of all, let me ask you one question. What is your impression of Kosen students?
C: From my standpoint, some Kosen students have obsessive interests in anime. It's just like Otaku. Since Kosen students have quite a few opportunities to create things, we can get a lot of technical knowledge through Kosen days.
B: I think so too. By the way, do you know what other people think of us? I'll show you some interesting data. The data was collected from a questionnaire answered by about one-thousand Japanese companies that hire Kosen students, comparing Kosen graduates and university graduates.
C: The results show that Kosen students are ranked high on technical knowledge and computer skills.
B: Exactly. We are highly evaluated for our skills as engineers. However, our skills of communication, presentation and languages are regarded as very poor.
A: I agree up to a point. It must be true that many Kosen students tend to stick with a few close friends and not to get along with some other students.
C: I understand why such people do so. I have more fun with my close friends than with anyone else. In addition, club activities have no relationship to either my credits or my graduation thesis.
A: However, it is fun to try something new or something that is challenging and that I really want to do.
C: You might be right, but I can't create a picture of "challenge" in my mind.
B: Let me explain. Here is the definition of "challenge". Longman's dictionary says something that tests strength, skill, or ability, especially in a way that is interesting.
C: It's hard for me to understand it.
B: Don't take it too seriously. Take it easy!
A: I know what you mean, but it's a piece of cake.
C: Oh, really? Please tell me some examples if you have.
A: For example, Ms. Nakagawa and I went to China for our internship. It was a challenge to us. That was not just an ordinary trip but an internship. Moreover, it was the first time for us to spend one month in a foreign country. We worried a lot about the internship, but it was a really precious experience. And we are very happy that we did it.
B: I went to Suzhou in China for my internship. I had never spent a month alone in a foreign country. Although I decided to go there by myself, I missed Japan and my family. Even so, it was a great experience for me. Because I had many experiences. I had never done laundry by myself. I had never hailed a taxi. I hate green peppers. But in China, I had to wash my clothes by myself. I had to get a taxi to the station. I had to eat some dishes containing a lot of green peppers because a friend of mine made it for me. But I'd never do these kinds of things if I'm in JAPAN. For me, it was not so easy to do such ordinary things. Through this experience, I learned how important it is to be independent.
A: I went to Shenzhen, China. Shenzhen is a major city in the south of China. Shenzhen has a unique culture. The way of thinking there was totally different from JAPAN. However, after I spent a month there, I learned a lot of things, and I got used to it. Now I understand the meaning "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". Shower was not usually working, and we do laundry with not a washing machine but water in a bucket. Working in a foreign country is not so easy, yet it will have a great impact on my life. If I hadn't joined this Internship, I wouldn't have had any chance to go to Shenzhen, or even China.
C: But I'm afraid to try something new.
B: What are you afraid of?
C: I'm not sure I can do it.
A: Yes, you could make mistakes. But it is normal. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. Just try.
B: That's right! Everybody goofs up once in a while. You can make it through, you are still a student now. You learn from mistakes.
A: As a matter of fact, I hadn't studied any Chinese before I went to China. I just knew a few phrases such as "謝謝" and "你好". But I could communicate with the people there by writing "kanji". I also made some friends with local people who only spoke Chinese. You will miss a great opportunity to experience different cultures, if you refuse to try. So, you don't need to worry about such tiny things. Take a Step!
B: Don't worry too much about failure. Go for it!
C: As I listened to what you were saying, I'm getting more interested in trying something new.
A: Great!! That's the spirit! You can do it!
C: Umm…What would be a good challenge for me? What should I do at first?
B: Do you know a book named "Yes Man"?
C: I don't know…
B: Let me explain. Yes Man is a humorous novel written by Danny Wallace based upon a year of the author's life. In his book he chose to say "Yes" to any offers that came his way.
A: It was also loosely adapted into the 2008 film Yes Man, starring Jim Carrey.
B: Answering "yes" to everything, the main character came to learn how to enjoy his life and realize his negative attitude towards things.
A: Of course you don't need to say "yes" to everything. But you may not want to refuse everything from the beginning either. I guess it is important at least to show your interest.
C: If I look at other sides, I will get a lot of chances, right? I don't think I can do anything big. So, I should start small one first.
B: That's right! I think so too!
A: So will you try something new?
C: Oh, yeah!
A: As you can see he seems to understand what challenge is. Now I would like to point out the same thing to Kosen students. You may be still anxious about trying different things, but I think it's important to know the new world by doing so.
B: Let's not worry too much. You can start small. Let's try something new.
C: This summer, I went to Helsinki to work on a project with a local student as my 2 month internship. The main reason why I decided to go there was that I had always wanted to gain various experience in other countries. Actually I had a bit of anxiety because this was the first time I had lived abroad. But I kept saying to myself, "Things will work out. I can do it." The best experience for me was that I had a lot of opportunities to communicate with people who came from various countries. Then accepting the different cultures helped me to grow. I learned that everyone had different cultural and ethnic background. I wouldn't have had this change in my attitude if I hadn't joined the internship. Now I'm sure that it is important to do something new, especially going abroad. We hope that many of you try something new.
B: We got something by trying new things. I got a spirit of independence!
C: I got more confidence in everything!
A: I got new friends abroad! Then,
A, B, C: You will get…