When I was deciding where to study abroad, I looked at the major English-speaking countries, the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia. Out of those, I chose America.

Honestly, I didn’t have a special passion for the U.S. at first. I just thought, “If I study abroad, it’ll probably be the U.S.” It was that simple. I had heard people call America a salad bowl because of its diversity, which sounded exciting. Looking back, it’s funny — in high school I was obsessed with The Beatles and listened to nothing else, and now I drive a Mini. Sometimes I wonder why I didn’t pick the U.K., but I have zero regrets about my choice.

As I researched more seriously, I realized the U.S. fit me best, especially in terms of the school system:

1. English Proficiency Requirement

I had to take the TOEFL. To be honest, I really didn’t like it… it’s just too long, and aiming for a higher score was stressful. I took it three times, but thankfully I got the required score to skip ESL and go straight into college-level classes. Other countries had higher required scores…

2. Start Dates & Flexibility

One of my biggest priorities was the start date. I thought all American universities (and most overseas schools) only started in September. But with my agent’s help, I found out about quarter-system schools, where you can start in different months. That allowed me to begin in April, right after I graduated high school in March, so I didn’t have to take a gap. That timing made a big difference for me.

3. Choosing a Major Later

Another huge reason was flexibility. At that time, I didn’t know what I wanted to study. In Japan, you usually have to decide your major before entering university, which felt overwhelming. But in the U.S., you can explore first and decide later. That freedom was exactly what I needed.

I started out majoring in Business at community college, then switched to Communication at university and even added a minor in Entrepreneurship. I’m really happy with how it turned out.