Interviews with Graduates
I went to graduate school and my future opened up! Graduate Student Interview
KIKUCHI SEISAKUSHO CO., LTD.
MONOZUKURI Mechatronics Laboratory
ASAISHI Kenta
[Completed in March 2015]
What made you decide to go to graduate school?
After I was assigned to the laboratory, I started researching rehabilitation assistive devices. In the process, in addition to the design and development of the device itself and its programs, I needed to measure and analyze data through experiments. However, I felt that there was a limit to what I could do during my undergraduate studies. Therefore, I decided to go on to graduate school in order to do comprehensive research from development to evaluation.
What were your concerns about entering graduate school?
I was a little worried about tuition, living expenses, and other costs associated with going to graduate school, but I was able to solve this problem by using the scholarship system of Iwate University.
What experiences did you have in graduate school that helped you in your career?
After I started working, I was involved in development work and had many opportunities to plan experiments, analyze data, and write reports. While I was in graduate school, I was involved in planning experiments, analyzing data, and compiling reports on my research, so these experiences were very useful in my work after I started working. Even when I graduated from my undergraduate school, I might have been able to carry out what I was instructed to do, but I don't think I would have been able to create an experimental plan, choose an analysis method, or select the contents to report, so I feel that it was thanks to my graduate school education.
What kind of human resources are required in your workplace and industry?
In my current workplace, we are developing new technologies and new products, and when we proceed with these projects, we need to manage schedules and tasks as well as research and development. Managing schedules and tasks is necessary not only for R&D, but also for other tasks. In R&D, unexpected situations tend to occur, and the ability to rearrange schedules accordingly is also required. If you go on to graduate school, you will have to take classes at the same time you are working on your own research. In addition, I was required to change my schedule and prioritize my tasks according to the progress and results of my research, so I was able to acquire the skills required in the workplace through actual experience during my time in graduate school.
Message to high school and undergraduate students
In graduate school, you will need to conduct research not only on what you have learned in the classroom, but also on your own in areas related to the field you are studying. Therefore, in the course of your research, what you learn in class may be put to practical use, and even subjects that are independent of each other may be interrelated and lead to results in the course of your research. I recommend going to graduate school not only to those who are interested in a particular field, but also to those who are interested in how what they have learned in the classroom is utilized. In addition, the amount of time you have to study and research while you are an undergraduate is limited. In order to spend that time meaningfully, you should do your own research not only in classes and research, but also on things you are interested in in your daily life, so that you can use it in your research in unexpected ways. After you find a job, it will be difficult to take the time to do thorough research, so I think it is a good idea to do as much research as possible while you still have time.
ANRITSU CORPORATION
INOMATA Ryo
[Completed in March 2015]
What made you decide to go to graduate school?
In the Electricity Course, students are assigned to laboratories in the spring of their fourth year, and while some departments assign students to laboratories in their third year, I decided to go to graduate school because I thought that I would not be able to develop my strengths in my field if I spent only one year in a laboratory. In the summer and winter of my fourth year, I had to take the graduate school examinations, and if I didn't pass in the summer, I wouldn't have time to do research, so I basically prepared for the examinations until then. I was concerned that it would be relatively difficult to conduct research immediately after entering graduate school due to lectures, etc., so I concentrated on research in areas related to my research field.
What were your concerns about entering graduate school?
I was worried about the entrance exam, but I actively shared information with my friends by getting together and teaching each other what I didn't understand. I also studied in the laboratory and at my friends' homes during the summer vacation. While my friends who were not going on to higher education were getting jobs, I sometimes felt anxious because I felt like I was left behind, but at the same time, my anxiety was relieved when my seniors in the lab got jobs. As for my financial concerns, I had no problems because I used a scholarship and also had a part-time job. I am grateful that I was able to go on to higher education with peace of mind because there were systems that I could utilize such as exemption from entrance fees and tuition.
What experiences did you have in graduate school that helped you in your career?
I am currently working in the field of telecommunications, and I feel that the lessons I learned in the lectures related to that field have been particularly useful. The content I learned in graduate school was highly specialized, and I was able to learn more about the technology that I am currently working with, which is directly useful to me. I don't have many peers with undergraduate degrees in the workplaces I am involved with, so I don't know the difference clearly, but I think that if I had not gone to graduate school, I would not have been able to think independently and would have had more difficulties in my work.
What kind of human resources are required in your workplace and industry?
In an industry that deals with new technologies, I feel that people who have the attitude to learn on their own are required. I think that when you are faced with something you don't understand or a difficult problem, you need to do your own research and learning to grow. Even if what you have researched in graduate school is not directly related to the industry or workplace you will be working in, you can still make use of your research know-how and learning attitude in your work.
Message to high school and undergraduate students
Many people who are interested in graduate school may have not only high expectations for graduate school, but also anxiety about what kind of place it is, as they hear about it from others and do research. I had some anxiety too, but I hope that you will not worry and do your best because your teachers and seniors will be there to help you when you need it. If you don't know much about graduate school or going on to higher education, or if you have never thought about it, I think you should consider it. I myself feel that I gained a lot from the two years I spent in the laboratory. I recommend that you listen to your seniors and discuss with your friends, and add going to graduate school as one of your future options.
SEGA Interactive Co., Ltd.
KASAHARA Genki
[Completed in March 2015]
What made you decide to go to graduate school?
The biggest reason was that during my job hunting in my third year as an undergraduate, I realized how inexperienced and inexperienced I was in the industry I wanted to work in. After that, I decided to go on to graduate school, partly because I felt that I wanted to deepen my knowledge as I conducted research in my fourth year. To be honest, I was not sure if what I learned in class during my undergraduate years could be directly utilized in my research or employment. Therefore, I decided to actively learn things that can be used for research and employment in graduate school. In preparation for entering graduate school, I focused on deepening the content of my own research and preparing for the presentation of my research.
What were your concerns about entering graduate school?
How should I go about preparing for higher education? I was worried about whether I would be able to get the job I wanted if I continued on to graduate school, but after talking to professors and senior students in my department and receiving their guidance, my worries were alleviated. In addition, since there were many design students as well as information students in the "Design and Media Engineering" course I took, I was able to share a wide range of information directly related to my desired industry. This was one of the factors that helped me to overcome my anxiety. As for the cost, the graduate school left the time for conducting research to the discretion of the student, so I was able to schedule my research according to my lifestyle, and I was able to make ends meet by working part-time in my free time.
What experiences did you have in graduate school that helped you in your career?
The most important thing is my communication skills. When I was an undergraduate and a master's student, I had many opportunities to communicate with people outside of the university through part-time jobs and club activities, but when you become a member of society, you have even more opportunities to interact with many people. However, as a member of society, I will have more opportunities to interact with many more people. In doing so, I feel that the experience of interacting with people outside of my immediate surroundings through my research in graduate school has been very useful. By participating in the "On-Campus Company", VR application production involving students from multiple laboratories, and various other events and communities, I was able to interact with many people outside of the laboratory and outside of the university. In addition, since there were so many opportunities for presentations in my major, I feel that I was able to acquire the ability to express my own opinions. The habit of being conscious of explaining things in a logical and easy-to-understand manner has been useful even after I entered the workforce. In general, I feel that going to graduate school helped me to become a more active person. I used to be very shy and only interacted with club activities and friends in my department, but as I entered graduate school, my activities expanded and I had more opportunities to interact with various people, which helped me to become an active person.
What kind of human resources are required in your workplace and industry?
I think that communication skills are important, although they are probably required in any industry. Not only in workplaces where there is a lot of interaction with people outside the company, but also in workplaces where there is a lot of interaction with people inside the company, communication is required as well. This is especially important when you are working with people from different professions. In the major I entered, there were people from other departments as well as from the information field, so I was able to meet many new people and naturally have more opportunities to communicate with them, which was a good thing. I also think that it is important to have enthusiasm and motivation for manufacturing. At my workplace, there are many people who have made something of their own and are making use of it in their work, as well as people who are usually active and make use of these activities in their work. Since there were many such students around me while I was in school, I was also inspired to be active. I think the major merit of going to graduate school was that I was able to acquire communication skills and enthusiasm for manufacturing through this experience.
Message to high school and undergraduate students？
The fact that you can study at a university for six years is a big attraction. If you use your time effectively, you can learn and experience anything you want. Even if you are not thinking about going on to graduate school, I think it is a good idea to look back on your undergraduate years to see if there is anything you have left undone in your university life and what you have done. If you are busy with your studies, clubs, and part-time jobs, you will be in your fourth year before you know it. In order to have a university life with no regrets, I recommend that you study and play a lot, gain a lot of experience, and try to increase the number of options that will lead to your future.
Interviewed in March 2017.