Jae Woo Lew
Born in the year 2001. Currently studying Waseda University, School of Political Science and Economics.
This time, we have an interview with a current resident of U Share Nishi-Waseda, Jae Woo Lew.
She grew up in South Korea up until middle school and moved to Japan and graduated from an international school in Yokohama. Then, she joined U Share Nishi Waseda as one of the first residents. Now that she became an RA, which lets her contribute to establish a better community with her high language abilities and international background. What does she feel about life in U Share Nishi Waseda after living there for two years and working as an RA?
I was a bit scared of living in a sharehouse before I moved in, but this community is the exact reason why I do not feel that way anymore. Our community consists of people from different universities, majors, years, and backgrounds, but they all are sweet and have the same high motivations towards their goals. This is what makes the U Share community unique and special. It is always insightful and helpful to hear other residents’ opinions since they offer you different perspectives and different advice on whatever you are concerned with. Personally, I started to think about my future more. Talking with people a year or years above me and the adults gave me an insight into how I should construct my future. I spend a lot of time thinking about what I really want to pursue in the future and am glad that I am going through the process of finding myself. There might be some language barriers, but Japanese people are willing to learn English and non-Japanese people are willing to learn Japanese. That actually makes conversations even more enjoyable. I really like this “work hard, play hard” culture here at U Share!
To say nothing of the community, I like U Share Nishiwaseda for environmental reasons and geographical reasons too. I get to meet diverse people from different backgrounds through monthly events, casual gatherings, fellow residents, and more. I especially like spending time and connecting with people at the rooftop where you can enjoy a beautiful city view of Tokyo. We sometimes have BBQ parties on the rooftop too. It is always nice to have a place for us to stay connected and catch up with each other. Also, geographically, U Share is close to Waseda University and is located in a convenient and safe area. It is perfect for especially those who are not familiar with Tokyo or Japan. There are so many restaurants in that area and they are affordable as well. Now that I have explored this area a lot, I found my favorite restaurant too. It was easy for me to start my university life here and I have been having a good time.
It is a really nice environment to have and to be surrounded by highly motivated people. Until high school, you knew where you were heading to, but from university, you have to create your own path, so having these people motivates you and keeps you moving forward. Also, U Share really supports individual residents to grow and I think it is rare to find a place or community like this. I believe that U Share would be a big help for you for the future. Additionally, I think it is important but rare to have a tight community outside of your school. I hope you make the most of your university years and strongly recommend people who are considering U Share to give it a try at least!
