Student Interview with Yao Chengzhi | ISI Japanese Language School

Yao Chengzhi

From China
JUQ, a college preparatory school within the ISI Group

Chiba University
Graduate School of Horticulture
Division of Environment and Horticulture, Course of Horticultural Science
Admitted

Hello! Could you please introduce yourself?: I am from Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, and I have a rather introverted personality. I usually spend my free time at home and enjoy listening to music. I began preparing to study abroad during the summer break of my second year at university, initially studying Japanese on my own at home. After passing the JLPT N2 in December of my fourth year, I finally began studying in earnest at JUQ, a preparatory school. Although I originally planned to pursue a degree in design, I decided to switch to agriculture after exploring the field for a short time. This year, I came to Japan on a tourist visa and got enrolled in the graduate school at Chiba University.
Why did you choose to study in Japan at the time, and how did you decide on this particular program at Chiba University?: I had always been interested in Japanese culture and society, and I wanted to experience a different way of life and broaden my life experience. My parents also influenced me to some extent. My mother works in a field related to agricultural economics, and my father enjoys cultivating the land in our hometown, often growing vegetables whenever he returns home. In addition, my undergraduate major was closely related to agriculture, which inspired me to pursue more advanced studies in the field. Since Japan is highly advanced in agricultural research, offers relatively convenient access to my hometown, and its cost is lower than in Europe or North America, I decided to study in Japan.

Chiba University is the only national and public university in Japan with a Faculty of Horticulture. As an undergraduate, I participated in a summer program organized in partnership with Chiba University. During the program, which lasted a little over a month, I spent half the time visiting gardens across Japan and the other half attending lectures by professors from different departments at Chiba University and touring its research facilities. That experience strengthened my determination to study at Chiba University. I felt that, after putting so much effort into studying abroad, I should aim for the best university in this field.
Could you tell us about your overall preparation process for the entrance examination? When did you begin preparing, how long did you spend on it, and what kinds of efforts did you make?: I decided to major in economics because I had completed a minor in economics during my undergraduate studies, which gave me a solid foundation. As a result, I felt that studying the subject would not be too difficult for me.
I see. Could you walk us through your one-year preparation timeline?: My preparation process was about achieving each required goal step by step. I first began studying Japanese through online courses during the summer break of my second year at university (2023). At the beginning, I studied rather casually, using the "Standard Japanese" textbook, and spent about a year and a half learning the N5 and N4 levels. I then completed the N3 and N2 through intensive study starting about six months before the JLPT held in December of my fourth year (2024). That exam was my last opportunity. If I had failed, even passing the following June would not have helped because the score report would have been issued too late for the summer application period. Fortunately, I passed the exam successfully.

After passing the Japanese language exam, I began preparing to obtain a TOEIC score. Following the advice of an instructor at JUQ, I first took the test without any prior preparation and scored only in the low 600s. I then continued practicing with a smartphone app, and after about two months of study, I achieved a score of 850 in March 2025.

Since I was aiming to apply directly to graduate school, I was under considerable time pressure throughout the entire preparation process. I had to prepare for studying abroad while keeping up with my undergraduate coursework, and it was not until late March 2025 that I obtained both my English and Japanese language qualifications. By then, it was already quite late to begin contacting professors. With guidance from an instructor at JUQ, I quickly began searching university websites for laboratories that matched my interests. I contacted only a few highly ranked national universities, including Kobe University, Chiba University, and Hokkaido University. Most of my emails went unanswered, but I was able to receive permission to take the entrance examinations from professors at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and Chiba University. However, the professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology specialized in soil microbiology, which was not a field I was particularly interested in.

After getting in touch with the professor, I began preparing for Chiba University's entrance examination. The professor was kind enough to provide me with the scope of the exam. I purchased the required study materials from a Japanese website and had them sent to my preparatory school. I am especially grateful to my instructor there, who spent nearly two hours scanning the books and creating digital copies so that I could use them for my exam preparation. All of the past entrance exam questions for Chiba University's Horticulture program were available on the university's official website. The exam consisted of fewer than ten questions, most of which focused on memorization rather than testing analytical understanding.

I began preparing my research proposal and interview responses with my instructor Liu, at JUQ about two weeks before the examination. Since Chiba University did not require applicants to submit a research proposal during the application process, I first created an outline of my research proposal before the exam and then used it as the basis for preparing my answers to potential interview questions.
After that, you took Chiba University's entrance examination. Could you tell us what it was like?After that, you took Chiba University's entrance examination. Could you tell us what it was like?: The details of the written exam can be shared through the instructors at JUQ with students who are planning to apply to the same program.
Since I was not very confident in my spoken Japanese, I chose to have the interview in English. There were around 50 to 100 applicants for the horticulture program, and most of them seemed to be undergraduate students at Chiba University. The interview was conducted by eight professors in one classroom. They were all smiling, and the overall atmosphere was fairly relaxed. The interview lasted about ten minutes, and I was asked only general questions. (I had spent a lot of time memorizing and preparing my research proposal, so I was surprised that they did not ask me anything about it.) Instead, they asked questions such as, “Why did you choose Chiba University?”, “Why did you choose this supervisor?”, and “Why did you decide to study in Japan?”
Do you have any advice for students who are considering studying in Japan?: For students like me who plan to come to Japan on a tourist visa and take the graduate school entrance examination directly, I strongly recommend developing your Japanese conversational skills as early as possible. The biggest challenge in the direct admission process is Japanese proficiency, especially speaking ability. I never attended ISI Japanese Language School. I prepared entirely through online classes and with the instructors at JUQ, ISI's preparatory school. As a result, I had very few opportunities to use Japanese in a real-life environment. I believe this is one of the challenges I will continue to work on as I begin my graduate studies.

It is also important to manage your time carefully. I prepared for the entrance examination while completing my undergraduate studies. The first half of this year was particularly hectic, as I had to communicate with professors, conduct fieldwork for my graduation thesis, and prepare for the exam all at the same time.

Lastly, I would recommend enrolling in April. Since I applied for October admission, my preparation schedule was extremely tight. April admission gives you more time to improve your Japanese. It also allows you to begin your studies with other students, as most students enroll in April.
Looking back on your journey to admission, what would you say are the three key words that best describe your entrance exam?: Fortune. I passed the JLPT N2 just in time, and the results were released right before the application deadline.

Intense time pressure. Whether it was preparing for the language exams, contacting professors, or getting ready for the graduate school entrance examination, every stage of the process was extremely rushed.

Grateful. It costs nearly 100,000 yuan to prepare study abroad, and I sincerely appreciate my parents' unconditional support.

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