Amherst ED 2016... anybody?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Amherst College
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<p>Hi @Fullmetal01 – School in Japan is extremely structured. I went to an all boys school, so I’m not sure what mixed schools or girls schools are like.</p>

<p>At all Japanese schools there is a dress code. Boys wear dress pants and a white, collared shirt. On special days you also wear the school’s formal jacket. </p>

<p>Japanese students, from what I experienced, are much further ahead in science and math than in the US. Calculus is a sophomore or junior year class. AP Physics and Chemistry are also freshman-junior year level. In science, you do less physical experiments/labs, and much more math. </p>

<p>The school day is very long - and includes extracuriculars. I would go to school at 7AM, and come home with my Japanese brother at about 8PM. He did basketball after school, and I went to kendo. This is typical for Japanese high school students. You do the regular school day from 7:30AM-3:30PM. Then you study at the school until about 6PM. Then you do your sports, art, music clubs. Everything is very scheduled - Japanese do not look well on wasting time ;-)</p>

<p>School is set-up so that learning is much more drill-like. All of my friends knew physics physical constants and chemistry atomic weights by memory. Also - they do not use calculators. </p>

<p>Kendo was AMAZING. I do Kendo at a school here, but it is nothing compared to the intensity and perfection taught in Japanese martial arts schools. They kicked my butt, but it was my favorite part of the day. </p>

<p>Because everything is so structured, you don’t really have “homework.” You do everything at or after school AT THE SCHOOL. Finally, teachers in Japan are like surrogate parents. Mom and dad totally defer to THEM with regard to classwork and behavior. If a teacher sees you misbehaving outside of school, or wasting time outside of school … the students will take correction from them no matter where they see the teacher. Respect for elders is a foundational value. </p>

<p>It’s funny, but I found it less stressful in someways. Also, ALL of the teachers were VERY nice. My biggest frustration was that everyone wanted to practice English with me ;-).</p>

<p>I LOVE Hiroshima - It’s VERY clean, modern and surprisingly quiet. It is also very near to Miyajima Island and shrine … BEAUTIFUL!!!</p>

<p>Hiroshima also has a giant (4 floors) manga store :wink: Spent most of my little free time there. </p>

<p>Finally - in summer Japan is VERY hot and humid. </p>

<p>Want to go back SO BAD. I also got to spend 2 days in Kyoto — that city is another gem! Very historic.</p>

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<p>Anyway – It would be awesome to be able to participate in the Japanese cultural, language and manga activities at Amherst if they accept me. It will be GREAT to be with others from around the country or even world that I can share this interest with, and learn much more from, too. </p>

<p>The Doshisha opportunity is something in which I expressed strong interest on my application. I’m hoping that Amherst sees the exchange as something that helped my education, appreciation of diversity, and self-confidence/independence and not a “vacation.” It wasn’t a tourist experience - believe me. </p>

<p>If Amherst doesn’t work out - I hope my alternatives will have similar opportunities. This waiting for next week is excruciating though.</p>

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<p>@amfreborg : I can totally relate to the uniforms and the rigorous academics. It is the exact same here in Bangladesh. We learn Calculus from 9th grade, and we don’t use calculators until about the second paper (out of 6) in our A-Level Core Mathematics in 11th grade, after which the calculations, such as regression calculations in statistics ( we have three 180 page or so books just for that) and stuff become so tedious that you have no choice but to use a calculator. We don’t use graphical calculators here either. But as you go up even higher in school, you start seeing vector calculus and so much algebra you start needing the calculator less and less. We have the periodic table literally memorized as well as the physical constants, and yeah, it’s way more mathematics than practicals. But from what I’ve heard, I think in the US the great thing about you guys is the practicals. I think Bangladesh is wayy more humid since it’s a tropical country lol, …but what I like about Japan is the long schooling hours as well as the club activities you mentioned. Students are really so engaged. That is precisely what’s awesome about it. Here students are so busy with academics most really don’t have any ECAs at all, they literally study day and night, even though we don’t really have “homework” , only a few presentations and projects sometimes. And same here, respect to elders is paramount in our culture, and I think that is the case all over Asia :slight_smile: …and teachers totally kick our butts when we’re fooling around xD</p>

<p>I’d really like to try out kendo ! The experiences you’ve had are amazing. I wish I got back home at 8, knowing I made the best of my day. But really, going to the US will be me experiencing a whole new culture . I’ve never gone out of Asia before. Reading what you wrote really made me realize (I know this might sound stupid) that what we take for granted here (school uniforms bla bla bla) really is something new to you, and it made me look at things around me in a whole new way. </p>

<p>I really hope I can get into Amherst so I can meet people like you. And so that I can go on a Doshisha University exchange with Amherst to experience the Japanese culture, and learn more…I am getting really anxious for next week :)</p>

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<p>@Fullmetal01: Do you have a British accent? :open_mouth: This is so cool! I’ve been to Korea maybe 2 or so times and I might go again next summer :smiley: Have you ever been?</p>

<p>@amfreborg: That sounds like an incredible experience… I wish my school had a program like that! I’m jealous :stuck_out_tongue: </p>

<p>@Everyone basically: You guys are all so interesting :slight_smile: Wow Amherst would be lucky to have all of you… I really hope we all get in :’) I can’t wait to try new things, learn new things, and meet people like you guys in college! Is anyone planning on taking foreign language courses and which ones? I kind of want to take French (I learned like no French in H.S) :frowning: </p>

<p>And, is anyone participating in the Amherst chat tonight? :slight_smile: I want to ask them about our decision notification date!</p>

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<p>@LittleMissPink which Amherst chat will you be on tonight? The first or second? :)</p>

<p>And also you all sound so interesting and well spoken! I’m taking calculus right now and for those of you that started Calc in the 9th grade… I bow down to you in awe. I have a two day test tomorrow and friday =O.
I hope that we can all meet in the future. 1 week from tomorrow we will know for sure!</p>

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<p>Hi @Fullmetal01 --</p>

<p>Another big difference in Kendo in Japan and in the USA … even with the armour you get bruised a lot more in Japan :wink: It’s still fun, if you like martial arts. It also helps instill confidence and dignity, as you have to do your best even though you you know your opponent is going to kick your butt ;-)</p>

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<p>When someone finds out … could they PLEASE let us know if the deal is that notifications will be postal mailed on the 15th? That is my current understanding. At least for US students, am I correct in assuming there won’t be EMAIL notifications ???</p>

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<p>@LittleMissPink : Nope, I don’t have a British accent, though one of my friends picked it up 100% . It’s just that I had friends, and teachers from australia, the philippines, the UK, the US, france , russia, qatar, and of course, bangladeshis as well, so my accent sort of ended up weird. One of my teachers described my accent as an “international” one lol, a british friend said it was american. I plan on taking foreign language courses for sure, japanese, korean and german are languages I want to learn at the moment, but I’ll take it one step at a time of course. I plan on joining the Amherst chat at 8:45 PM EST , but can’t say if I’ll be able to for sure.</p>

<p>@Ellie512 : best of luck for the test ! :)</p>

<p>@amfreborg : I’m seriously a martial arts fan, and what you said just makes me want it more lol</p>

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<p>What time does the chat start??</p>

<p>On another note, all of you seem so diverse in your interests! I like it :slight_smile: One more week, aghhhh this is the most agonizing wait ever! Best of luck to you all!</p>

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<p>@LittleMissPink : oh , and I’ve never been to Korea, but I definitely hope to go there someday ! :)</p>

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<p>@wilkins012 : Hi ! :slight_smile: there are two sessions : </p>

<p>Wednesday, December 7, 2011</p>

<p>Session I: 7:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.</p>

<p>Session II: 8:45 to 10 p.m.</p>

<p>Eastern Standard Time</p>

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<p>@Ellie512: I might stay for both :smiley: I did that last time! What about you? And I agree with you on the calculus… I am taking AP Calc right now and that is really impressive! Oh and for people who took AP Physics B as freshmen… I am speechless… :)</p>

<p>@amfreborg: Yup hopefully they give us an answer :slight_smile: Wait… I thought schools usually send out an email and then postal mail? </p>

<p>Hm… I really wish they will let us know by this week because I can’t afford to keep pushing back my other supplements…hahaha. It’s so bad… I should be doing all my back-ups but I have no motivation :stuck_out_tongue: Winter break is going to be terrible this year if I don’t get in :(</p>

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<p>@Fullmetal01: That’s still so cool… you truly are the diverse applicant that Amherst is looking for :slight_smile: Hey, maybe we will all talk to each other tonight!</p>

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<p>@LittleMissPink : I am far from being the diverse applicant that Amherst is looking for :slight_smile: It’s just that small things get viewed in a big way when written down. I’ve read on a thread that there’s an applicant who even wrote a book. Yup , maybe we will, but hey, your “tonight” is early in the morning for me haha</p>

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<p>@Fullmetal01 thank you! I’ll be at the first one for sure :D</p>

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<p>Wish I could join the chat, but I have to write a dang lit. analysis…</p>

<p>Everybody’s school seems so intense. We just got AP last year (2 of them) and my school is very mediocre with most kids going to the community college in town or the state school. Nobody can relate to what I’m going through. And I hope Amherst will see how much I want to leave. </p>

<p>Good luck to us all in a week! :)</p>

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<p>Haha bosanskijezik, you should just procrastinate on that lit analysis and join the Amherst chat anyway! </p>

<p>The past few weeks have been so bad…I’m already a huge procrastinator and it’s only getting worse…oops! Starting homework at midnight like a boss.</p>

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<p>“We plan to release our decisions late in the day on Tuesday, December 13th. You will be able to find your decision by logging into your AC Data account.”</p>

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<p>@LittleMissPink Thanks so much for finding out! Oh jeeze. Now Tuesday will be the most stressful day ever. I’m crossing my fingers for all of us!</p>

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<p>Darn my sleeping habits, I get to miss out on so much lol </p>

<p>@fullmetal01: Well with my parents saying “my son will become a doctor!!” and society weighing down on me to study the hard sciences and peer pressuring me into science olympiads and engineering projects and what not…I kinda got fed up :stuck_out_tongue: So being the rebellious boy that I am I took 10 A level subjects ALL in the social sciences and humanities, while everyone went to ARSSDC and stuff like that I was busy becoming a fingerstyle guitarist or travelling on a motorbike up north near the chinese border…so yeah Ive done some realllyyyyy questionable things but i did them to perfection so I had leverage :smiley:
Plus I have had the pleasure of meeting ten brilliant students from Bangladesh on a trip to india…they when down in my list of “most favorite people everrr” :smiley: </p>

<p>LittleMissPink: Well Id like to pick a few russian literature courses at amherst… they have a BRILLIANT library dedicated to russian texts! you should check that out!
and what web chat was this ? I didnt know abt it :o </p>

<p>@amfreborg woaaahhhh that is epic !! :D</p>