Karina Chevhuz
Born and raised in Ukraine. Speaks Ukrainian, Russian, English, and a little bit of German. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management at Temple University Japan.
This time, we have an interview with a current resident of U Share Nishi-Waseda, Karina Chevhuz. Karina has been in Japan over the last year, living in a different dorm, and recently moved into U Share, as she decided to pursue her degree in Temple University Japan. We asked her what brought her to U Share, and how her life in Japan has been.
I was always interested in Japan and I decided to study abroad for a year in Japan last year. Since I liked my experience so much here, I ended up staying for another year to continue my study. The food is great and people are nice in Japan. When I was in Ukraine I used to live in a small city, so life in Tokyo has been very different and I‘m enjoying that a lot so far.
There’s a coordinator from last year who has supported my study abroad life in Tokyo and he recommended me to U Share. He thought that I would be a great fit because U Share is a group of motivated people and is very international.
I like U Share because it’s very international. I’m currently living with Japanese, Chinese, and American girls. I also like the fact that the U Share community isn’t too big. The dorm I lived in last year was huge and it was too hard to get to know everyone but since U Share is not too big and there are events happening regularly, you get to know everyone living in the building.
Unfortunately, my class schedule is from 6-9 pm and since it’s different from everyone else, I haven’t had a chance to attend most of the events so far. I’m looking forward to attending more events and getting to know other residents. I trusted him and since it was very accessible to my university I decided to give it a go.
My country is having a hard time, and having my family back there has been hard. Everything is unpredictable and I sometimes feel guilty that I’m having a normal life here in Japan while my family is struggling.
However, I never regretted my decision to come to Japan and I’m very thankful for all the environment and opportunities I have here. I hope I make the most out of my time here, learn everything I can, and think about how I can apply my experience when I get back to Ukraine.
For those who are considering U Share, or even just studying abroad in Japan, don’t hesitate! It will definitely become a memorable experience so just come, I trust you that it will be awesome!
