Takeyama Seminar (2nd Student Interview, S.Y.)
Title: “Developing My Own Area of Expertise Made Me Feel Confident"~It all started with "I have no area of interest"~
Why did you choose Takeyama Seminar?
Although I am an economic student, I did not feel that I could really get to the bottom of thetheoretical aspects of economics, such as micro and macroeconomics, and I wanted to work on
something more concrete and specific rather than doing theoretical work that was invisible.
Out of many seminars that do theoretical research, I found out about Takeyama Seminar inJanuary, just before the entrance exam, and I realized that it is a practical seminar in which
students work with actual companies to come up with solutions to problems they are given. As I
thought that I could see what real society is like, I decided to apply for the seminar.
So, you decided to apply for Takeyama Seminar at the very last minute?
Yes, I did not know what I wanted to do for a long time, so I thought I would end up applying fora seminar without thinking about it in depth, but after knowing about Takeyama seminar inJanuary, I thought that this is the seminar that I would really want to go to.
How did you participate in the first and second information session given the fact that you
did not know where you wanted to go?
I attended either the first or second one, but at that time, I went to the session, got a pamphlet,
and visited maybe one or two booths, but I left because I wasn’t really interested (Laugh). I’msure that there was also a booth for Takeyama Seminar, but there were so many seminars that I
didn’t have the energy to look around. Also, I didn’t visit booths which were crowded, so thatmight be the reason why I did not go to Takeyama Seminar.
How about the third information session?
Unlike the first information session, as the third information session was right before theregistration period, I looked at the pamphlet in detail. As I looked at the pamphlet, I realized that
there are many seminars that I did not know about, so I decided to go to several booths. After thegeneral information session, I first went to Takeyama Seminar and I thought “I want to go to thisseminar!” I left without visiting other seminar booths.
How do you feel now after joining Takeyama Seminar?
More practical than I thought it would be! Of course, I think it's important to study by listening
to a lecture in a large classroom, but since the main activity is group work, there is a lot to gain
actively.
Also, although there are classes at university, I didn't really get close to my classmates, and while
I was a member of a club, I couldn’t participate in the activities due to personal reasons, so I
couldn’t make close friends as I did in high school. However, after joining the seminar, I wasable to foster close relationships.
Are there many active Takeyama Seminar students around you?

Yes! There are so many people who are very conscious, very capable, and very unique. Every
individual is working hard on something they really want to do.
How did you prepare for the entrance exam?
I had to submit a report and take an interview to get in Takeyama Seminar.
I didn’t do anything special, but I originally took a class called Academic Skills when I was at
Hiyoshi, and I was also working as a counselor at Hiyoshi Media Center, so I was pretty goodand confident at writing reports. The fact that the assignment for the Takeyama Seminar’s
entrance exam was to write a report also made me decide to apply. So, for the report, I did notstudy the format, but I did give a lot of thought to its contents. The topic was quite interesting,and I enjoyed thinking about what to write.
As for the interview, I think there were many people who were diligently preparing for it byasking their senpais for help. It turned out that some exchanged contact information at theinformation session, but I didn’t know about that as well (Laugh). I went to the interview without
preparing much, but the atmosphere was very nice and the professor was very kind, so I was able
to relax.
So the selection process for Takeyama Seminar was a fit for you!
Yes, if I had to take 3 tests for example, I might have reconsidered applying for the seminar(Laugh).
Were there any similarities between what you wrote for your report assignment and what
you actually did after joining the seminar?
Yes, as we are trying to come up with new services, the ability to come up with somethinginteresting is something I have used a lot since joining the seminar.
Looking back on your student life, what was the seminar like?
I don't think I have the same knowledge and expertise as graduate students because of thedifference in the amount of time I spent studying, but even if that is the case, I know more about
my own specialized field than my friends who are currently in other seminars, which gives me
confidence. Even during job hunting, I felt comfortable talking about the content of the seminar.
It seems that you gained a lot of confidence through Takeyama Seminar!
Yes, and also, I didn’t even know what I wanted to do in the future before joining the seminar,
but I ended up getting into the industry which was closely related to what I had been doing in theseminar, so it was a good opportunity for me to learn about what I was interested in.
Did you talk about what you did in the seminar during the process of job hunting?
I answered what I did in the seminar almost every time. I didn’t play a particularly prominentrole in a club or even worked hard in a student organization. I also had no qualifications, so thethings I did in the seminar made me feel confident.
What is the strength of Takeyama Seminar?

Working on a project with large corporations as a student is such a valuable experience! As you
can learn practically rather than just studying in a classroom, I highly recommend it for students
who want to do practical activities. The group work is also exciting, so I would highly
recommend it to anyone who is looking for such connections.
Do you think that there are students who are a good fit for Takeyama Seminar?
I think it’s suited for everyone! (Laugh) There are many kinds of students, and they are all
unique and working hard on something other than the seminar as well!
Please give a message to the first and second graders!
I think that there are a lot of students like me who don’t have a specific field which they areinterested in pursuing. However, you will gain a lot of confidence by specializing in somethingthat others do not know. No need to rush, but I recommend you to go and listen to the seminars
that interest you, find a field that you could be interested in, and take the entrance exam!
Sidenote:
This time, we decided to interview a student (S.Y.) who was initially not interested in any fieldand didn’t know what he/she wanted to do in the first place. There were two things that stood out
to me in this interview.
The first is that you never know what will happen until just before the entrance exam. Before theinterview, I honestly thought that the students would have something they want to do or learn inmind by the time the first information session is held, and then they would choose a seminar toapply for. However, I was surprised to hear that this student chose the seminar in January, justbefore the seminar entrance examination period. At the same time, I felt that such opportunities
would inevitably come to those who were honest with themselves and did not give up searchingfor seminars, even if they didn’t have anything they wanted to do until just before. I hope thatfirst and second year students will continue to search for seminars until the very end, and thatthey will make meaningful connections that will enrich their student life at Mita.
The second is that those who do not have anything they want to do or who are not interested inanything should consider joining a seminar. The confidence gained by actively completing
activities in small groups in one specialized field is a valuable story that cannot be heard at thefirst introduction session held by third-year students who have just started their seminar
activities. That is why we will continue to tell you stories that only fourth-year students can talkabout through these interviews, which will allow you to ask yourself “how would you like tospend the rest of your student life?” and “what kind of seminar would you like to join?” It would
be great if these articles allow you to broaden your perspectives.
Last but not least, thank you very much for taking your time to talk about your experiences.