The key is to get used to the entrance exam by solving past papers

First year graduate student in the master's program, division of mathematical science for social systems

Takuya Matsumoto

※As of April 2021

How did you prepare for the exam?

Well, I checked what topics are frequently asked in the exam by glancing through the past papers, reviewed those that I had forgotten or was not so confident, and then started solving past papers earnestly. I really recommend practicing previous exam questions as it helps one get used to the entrance exam and also provides one with a sense of what topics will be asked. When I look back on my preparation for the test, I realize that it would have been better if I had not been spending too much time on reviewing stuff from the book; doing so was not so efficient (in terms of test preparation). Instead, since the process of solving past exam questions itself already makes one review the material, I think it is more efficient to start solving past papers right away and just study things one is not good at + their related concepts. Moreover, I recommend participating in the open campus event since it is a good opportunity for one to grasp the idea of what kind of things one can learn/is going to learn after getting into the program. I think this will help one stay motivated even when one feels tired after long hours of test preparation.

How satisfied are you with your campus life?

Since I came from another university, I felt a little anxious or nervous at the beginning. However, as my classmates, senior students, and professors treated me so kindly, I could start my new campus life without any obstacles. Although there were several times I found it hard to understand the lectures, having chances to listen to professors who are at the cutting edge of various fields was so satisfying. While lectures are generally conducted online this year, most of them are redesigned so well that they feel little to no different from attending a real lecture. In addition to live broadcast, some classes even provide students with the recorded video lectures, so that they can review or restudy the part they did not fully understand whenever they want. Also, there are optional classes considered as minor programs for students to take. I found it fascinating that I can approach my major field from a different perspective and learn about its application in another field. I and my first year graduate friends of the same lab meet one another three times a week. We form a study group reading literatures to gain fundamental knowledge required for research. Initially, I felt falling behind and that there was not enough time for me to prepare my presentation but I gradually got used to it.

What are your future plans?

I have not definitely decided yet, but learning advanced topics in my major and other fields in mathematical science course allowed me to gain new knowledge and experience, and gave me the idea of many possible future paths that I had not recognized before I came here. I intend to continue studying to broaden my horizons.

Mathematical Science Course - The door to my journey in pursuit of knowledge

First year graduate student in the master's program, division of mathematical science

Rieko Tasaka

※As of April 2021

How did you prepare for the exam?

I first considered continuing my study at the division of mathematical science when I was in the second semester of my third year of undergraduate course. I majored in psychology at the school of human sciences, Osaka university. As for the test preparation, I was fortunate to have a chance to take some classes from the school of engineering science to help with my study. Nevertheless, I still have never learned most of the concepts the are asked in the entrance exam: I could hardly solve any questions in the past papers except for some of those from statistics. I then realized that self-studying everything was too difficult, so for the elective questions I decided to narrow my focus to only a certain set of topics and took some elementary classes with lower-year students. For the compulsory questions which are elementary analysis and linear algebra, I bought some simple textbooks and problem sets and practiced solving them. Also, since my test schedule differed from my undergraduate classmates’, in order to stay motivated I chose to study at the library near the school of Engineering where people gathered to study for entrance exam on the schedule similar to mine.

How satisfied are you with your campus life?

Since the time I started my graduate study, the spread of COVID-19 has caused all the lectures to be conducted online and caused me to worry excessively. However, my research group was putting effort into holding ZOOM meeting events several times and this enabled me to enjoy my new campus life. As I have interests in statistics and machine learning, followings are a couple of reasons why I chose to study here: the number of students and faculty members actively doing researches in the field of statistics is relatively large compared with those other graduate schools, apart from one’s major there are minor programs that one can take, and the classes are rich in variety. Specifically, there are a large number of classes offered in each semester, their quality is great, and I am often stimulated by the surroundings. Since they are high-level, for someone like me who barely passed the entrance exam there were so many days I was made to realize how limited knowledge I had. But I did manage to get through such feelings, thanks to the supportive and constructive environment I got here. In addition to classes and individual research activities, there are several independent reading groups, so the campus life is so lively, and I learn a lot every day.

In terms of facilities, even though I am a woman and there still seem to be few women in this division, I am comfortable without any gender-related inconveniences such as lack of toilets. Moreover, the university provides a great variety of supports for job hunting, continuing on to higher education, and living, which helps me in many aspects of my student life.

What are your future plans?

As for my future, there are still many things undecided, but I am currently considering going into a Ph.D. program. However, rather than being limited to one particular viewpoint, I would like to always consider various possibilities (I feel that the division of mathematical sciences is the place that allows me to do that), and move forward one step at a time.