So, it’s been a little over a week since school started. It both is, and isn’t, what I expected. Having gone through various types of schools — typical K - 12 American schooling, university in Canada, and finally Japanese language school — I have experienced a range of approaches to teaching. HAL has incorporated elements from all of those so far, as well as adding its own unique style in the process.
Before classes started, I was nervous about being thrown into an unfamiliar environment and having to either sink or swim. That didn’t happen. This entire week has been like an extended orientation; we’ve been setting up with a lot of hand-holding from the teachers. On the one hand, it’s nice because I never have to worry about not getting something, but on the other hand the adult in me keeps thinking, “Okay, I get it already. Can we move on now?” I may be only 25, but it appears that I’ve already completely forgotten what it’s like to be fresh out of high school.
One of the things that is taking a bit to get used to is the class greetings. When the teacher starts class with “Class is starting,” we all have to rise and say, “Yes, please!” (in Japanese, of course), bow, then wait to be told to sit. Finishing class is similar, with “Yes, please!” being replaced with “Thank you very much!” It would be more awkward for me except that most of the other students seem to be just about as comfortable with the whole situation as I am.
Other than that, things are pretty normal. The Japanese used is on par with what I was dealing with at Yamasa, although the vocabulary used in handouts and texts is a bit more advanced. I’ve become the resident “expert on English” (with a good dose of “x happens in America. Right, Andrea?”) which can be inconvenient sometimes, like when I’m spacing out and thinking about something else that was said.
One thing that I find interesting is the focus on certification exams. We got a whole list of ones that we might want to take, and two of our first year classes focus on what we need to know for the two basic ones. Everything here is geared towards making us attractive to potential employers, actually. When explaining why no late assignments would be accepted, my teacher launched into a long explanation about how the policy reflects the strict deadlines in a company (I immediately thought of Duke Nukem and Spore, but then again I can’t think of any analogous titles from Japan, so…). With all of this preparation, I can see why the employment rate after graduation is so high.
So, that’s it for my first impressions. Real classes start on Monday, so I’ll probably have another update in a week or two (or longer). Clearly my readership (all eight of you) will be waiting for the next post with baited breath. 
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