What it’s Like to be an International Student at UC Davis

The Global Study Program (GSP) is a unique academic study abroad program that provides visiting international students with a unique opportunity to earn academic credit while studying alongside UC Davis students and learning from world-class professors. Students participating in the program can study at UC Davis for one to three quarters, before returning to their home universities to complete their degrees. Some students elect to extend their stay and remain in Davis for additional quarters.

Students Sho Katayama (Chuo University), Songhee Kim (Study Abroad Foundation) and Ryunosuke Akima (Chuo University) began their study abroad experience at UC Davis in the 2021-22 academic year and recently decided to extend their stay in the Global Study Program.

How has your experience at UC Davis been so far?

Sho: I'm not going to lie. Last year changed my life. I was a little bit anxious about living in Davis, however, many of my friends and the Global Study Program staff made my life splendid! I tried out for the men's volleyball club, and I made it!

In Japan, it is really easy to get a good score. There's no attendance or papers, and that made me want to study abroad. UC Davis is running a quarter system, so that means there are midterms and finals coming in each month. My teammates and I went to the library almost every day and studied for those exams. For volleyball, I went to so many places to play in tournaments, including nationals in Phoenix. It was my best memory.

Songhee: I think it's really cool and nice! I met diverse friends in many classes and clubs. There are a lot of interesting classes at UC Davis and I love traveling to other places with my friends during breaks.

Ryunosuke: It’s been great!

How did you hear about the Global Study Program?

Sho: UC Davis was the top school that my home university had a connection with.

Songhee: When I prepared to study abroad, I had to think about many aspects because it was my first time visiting the United States and studying abroad, so many things were totally new to me. I wanted to go to a university known for my major, biotech, but also my interest, vet med. When I checked university lists for exchange programs, I found UC Davis and I thought the GSP program would be perfect for me!

Why did you choose the Global Study Program and why did you want to extend your stay?

Sho: I thought one year was not enough for me to speak English fluently, so I wanted to extend another year, and also didn’t want to say bye to my teammates at Davis.

Songhee: Time goes really fast! I did my best to study, participate in club activities and spend time with my friends and host family. But I still want to take more courses at UC Davis, try new activities and learn more about other cultures. This is one of the best aspects of UC Davis—there are a lot of students from diverse countries.

Ryunosuke: Ever since I was very little, I wanted to study abroad in California. My mum was an exchange student in San Luis Obispo, and I wanted to be like my mum one day. When I was in high school, my family hosted some exchange students and I met students from various colleges. They introduced me to so many eye-opening features of their college life. From that point, I started to think it would be very cool to study at one of the universities.

The biggest reason I decided to extend my stay at UC Davis is definitely the confidence that I gained through my academic success here. Back in my home university, I was able to maintain a relatively good GPA and I was quite successful. However, I was not very sure if I would be successful in a world-class university. I wanted to test my capabilities, so I decided to study abroad for a year. Here, I realized that I could be successful if I commit to studying well enough. I was also enjoying the environment of the Davis community. Davis has a perfect environment for study since almost all the people in the town are somehow related to the university, and most of them are students. This is great because you won’t be alone studying and you can easily find someone to spend your free time with.

What is the best thing that has happened to you during the program?

Sho: I made friends!

Songhee: Everything that happened at UC Davis is the best thing for me! When I realized I got an A in my major class, I was really, really happy. I also joined a volunteering club for pets of the homeless. I assisted vet med students in examining, treating and prescribing medicine at the animal clinic. This is a very worthwhile activity for me.

Ryunosuke: When my team and I won second place in our class for the presentation contest. Out of 32 groups in the marketing class, our group of four students, including myself, ranked 2nd in the final presentation. As a leader of the group, I was extremely happy. This was a special moment for me because it was the moment I realized that my capabilities are good enough to do well at UC Davis.

What is your favorite class, and why?

Songhee: It's a really hard question for me. I love every course that I took at UC Davis. Maybe ANS100 because in my home university, there is no major in animal science or vet med. I would not have had a chance to take courses like animal physiology if I had not come to UC Davis to study.

Ryunosuke: I loved the management classes as my major is business management. I took MGT120, 140 and 180, but MGT120 is my favorite. The class is very challenging, but unforgettable. It introduces real frameworks to solve problems, which we were able to apply in various forms. We had to choose an organization and identify its problems. Then, using the frameworks from our lectures, we were to analyze and propose solutions to the problems. This intense approach of learning and application practice was impressive, and I think it is going to be a core tool I can rely on in my future.

How have you benefited from the Global Study Program?

Sho: Speaking English with so many people from all over the world. I now have so many friends and that makes it easy to travel to those countries.

Songhee: I’ve learned about many different cultures and languages and experienced new things that I can't experience in Korea. It broadened my perspective. I think this is one of the best aspects of studying abroad, and one that will stay with me forever. My English has improved a lot as well! I think it will be very helpful when I study my major or when I work after graduation.

Ryunosuke: The value is immeasurable, yet meaningful. For my study, my future career and my life, the Global Study Program has definitely broadened my horizons. Testing my capabilities and competency, making lifelong friends and witnessing different lifestyles are helpful in providing me with extra options and in different perspectives.

What will you do when you return to your home country?

Sho: I'm thinking about applying for grad school.

Songhee: I will focus on graduating and finding an internship. And I will apply to the staff of the international department in my home university because I want to help exchange students who come to my home university to study abroad in Korea!

Ryunosuke: I will share what I have learned through this experience with people who may be interested. I will also start to consider my career options in the United States and prepare for it.

What advice do you have for the incoming GSP students?

Sho: Just have fun!

Songhee: Enjoy your life at UC Davis as much as you can—it's really nice! Make many friends and learn about various cultures.

Ryunosuke: You will definitely have unforgettable, lifelong moments. But it’s up to you to fully enhance your experience here, so take as many chances as you can.