The Path I Found Through Entrance Exams

I had a strong desire to meet a wide variety of people and broaden my horizons, so I initially planned to apply to private universities in the Tokyo area. Even after being unsuccessful in an interview-based admission process, I did not give up and continued studying for the general entrance examinations. However, I became ill and was forced to withdraw from the admissions process. During my hospitalization, I felt discouraged and even considered giving up on going to university altogether. Nevertheless, as I took time to reflect on my aspirations and what I truly wanted to learn at university, I realized how strongly I wanted to pursue higher education and decided to spend an additional year preparing for university entrance examinations.

As I reconsidered my future without focusing on either the fact that I had grown up in Tokyo or on university rankings and entrance difficulty, I began thinking seriously about what I genuinely wanted to study. At that point, I remembered APU, a university that one of my high school seniors had attended. The opportunity to study a wide range of subjects, including languages, philosophy, and sociology, as well as the chance to learn alongside many international students in a completely new environment in Kyushu and Oita, made APU my new university of choice.

Since I had originally been preparing for private university entrance exams, I focused on the February Admissions (3 subjects), which allowed me to make use of the three subjects I had already been studying: English, Japanese, and World History. In addition, I applied through the English-Focused Method and the Common Test Combined Method (3 subjects) because English was my strongest subject. My mindset was to apply through every admission method available to me while considering the exam schedules and subject requirements.

Another advantage of APU was that scores from external English proficiency tests could be converted into admission points for the English subject. To aim for a higher score, I retook the Eiken Pre-1st Grade exam, which I had already passed in my second year of high school. This time, I achieved a perfect score, allowing me to focus my preparation on Japanese and World History.

For English, I believe that thoroughly preparing for the Eiken can also help cover much of the content tested in the Common Test. I also recommend practicing reading passages quickly within a limited amount of time. For the first-stage examination, I used the English-learning app mikan to build my vocabulary and studied grammar by going through the reference book Vintage three times to deepen my understanding. I also obtained and completed all the past exam questions I could find.

For the second-stage examination, I made use of ChatGPT. I uploaded practice questions, timed myself while answering them aloud, and then used the instant scores and feedback to identify areas for improvement and refine my responses.

For Japanese, I studied modern Japanese by using reference books after first ensuring that I understood the key terms commonly found in academic and critical texts. For classical Japanese, I prioritized vocabulary study above all else. For World History, I read through the textbook at least three times to memorize the overall historical flow and chronology. Whenever there were topics I did not fully understand, I supplemented my learning with videos created by the educational YouTuber Mundi-sensei.

I had taken entrance examinations for both junior high school and high school, and in each case, it was a challenge that I chose to pursue on my own. There was also a time when I was unable to take university entrance exams, which made me appreciate even more how fortunate I was to have the opportunity to study. Because of that, even when my motivation temporarily dropped, I never panicked. Instead, I made sure to rest properly and prepare myself for the next study session.
I was driven by the belief that the effort I put in today would prevent my future self from having regrets. With that mindset, I immersed myself wholeheartedly in my exam preparation.

Because I had worked through a large number of past exam questions while carefully managing my study environment and time allocation, I was able to stay calm and perform to the best of my ability on the actual exam day. When I learned that I had been accepted, tears naturally came to my eyes. It felt as though all the decisions I had made and the hard work I had put in had finally been validated.
Incidentally, I was also applying to several private universities in the Kanto region at the same time and was accepted to all of them. However, I had always focused on what I truly wanted to do rather than being influenced by university rankings or location, so I chose to enroll at APU without hesitation.

I was absolutely thrilled to become an APU student, something I had long dreamed of, and I even found myself in tears while listening to the orientation sessions. Wanting to take on anything that looked interesting, I joined the student public relations organization GASS and participated in the Academic Camp. Going forward, I hope to actively enjoy both my studies and interactions with friends from diverse backgrounds, and above all, continue broadening my horizons through new experiences.

I think it is important not to let other people’s opinions or university rankings determine your choice. Instead, take the time to honestly reflect on what you truly want and what you are looking for in a university. Once you have found your goal, I encourage you to enjoy the process of studying and give it your very best as you work toward achieving it.