My Time At Kilvington

Ayumi Kirita, Year 11 student currently studying at Todoroki High School, Tokyo Japan

How long did you spend at Kilvington?

I spent about six weeks at Kilvington and eight weeks in Australia. 

What did you most enjoy studying at Kilvington?

Attending Japanese class and meeting with the students helped me to discover many things. In math class in Todoroki, we don’t use a calculator. Like these examples, there are so many differences between Kilvington and my school. So, it was the most surprising and my best memory of studying in Kilvington. 

What did you find most challenging?

Learning in English was really difficult. Science was especially difficult because it uses words I don’t usually use. 

What else did you do while you were in Australia?

I went to many places (strawberry picking, Melbourne Star, Eureka Sky Deck and the Melbourne Zoo) with my host family. Every place I visited was unforgettable, but strawberry picking and the Zoo were absolutely amazing. 

Not only that, there were cockatoos in many places in the town that I lived. In Japan, I see crows every day which have black feathers instead of the brightly coloured feathers of the cockatoos. With its feathers and its intelligence, it is a bit scary. Through these aspects, I could feel the grandness of Australian wildlife and nature. 

Did anything surprise you?

I was surprised at the custom that many people don’t take off their shoes even when they are in their house. It was the first time for me that I stayed in my house with my shoes on. 

Would you recommend that other students travel to Australia on an exchange program?

I DO recommend that other Todoroki students go on exchange to Kilvington. It was absolutely a great experience for me!  So, I want to let other students know how fun it was.