Messages from Graduates and Alumni

Messages are provided here from students (of the Graduate School of Informatics) who graduated from the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course in the School of Informatics and Mathematical Science, Faculty of Engineering to younger students and high school students.

[ A ] [ B ] [ C ] [ D ] [ E ] [ F ] [ G ]

Student A in Master Course

Why did you choose to study in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
If I had to choose one reason why I joined this Course, it would be the application range of Applied Mathematics and Physics. This is because I had a kind of dominant and free impression for Applied Mathematics and Physics when I learned in the class that the scope of examples ranges from natural phenomenon to engineering and economy, and the same schema can be used in a completely different field. Specifically, I got interested in methods using probability and statistics, such as stochastic differential equations, and the stochastic system.
Did your impressions about the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course change after starting to study in the Course?
Many teachers have been helpful to me even when I was not yet a student of this course. That might be why I hardly felt any changes in my impression of the course. When comparing lectures of the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course and the Computer Course, I felt changes in the Computer Course. I had an impression that the Computer Course provides more application-oriented classes than I expected.
Could you describe your experience in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?

What left a lasting impression on you, or was beneficial for you in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course Classes?
I came to think that mathematics was a tool.
What are some good things about joining the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
Just taking an elevator could give me satisfaction.

What impressions do you have about the time you spent as a member of a laboratory in fourth year?
I came to spend an overwhelmingly longer time studying. If I had enrolled in the course earlier, it would have made differences...
When I was an undergraduate student, I had fewer opportunities to mingle with senior students, graduate students and doctors than I expected. The opportunities were limited to before examinations when I sought advice and asked questions. After joining the research laboratory, I had opportunities for the first time to mingle with senior students with more academic experiences and to seek advice from them on various occasions. With regard to my research, my academic motivation was significantly enhanced because I experienced the real atmosphere of a research laboratory for the first time.
What did you do when you were not studying?
I belonged to a theater company, and appeared on stage.
Advice to Freshmen
How about frequently visiting several research laboratories? The first visit to a research laboratory might be little difficult. In many research laboratories, however, students will be welcome. Visiting a research laboratory can be more thrilling than going to a party. I particularly recommend this when you are coming to think that credit earning is just a monotonous task for you.
Advice to High School Students
Opportunities to glean information via the Internet have increased since I entered university. High school students and university students can equally be connected to the Internet. Now I can say that if I had utilized such an information source in my high school days, studying for entrance examinations might not have been so boring.
Although it is important to decide which information should be selected, I think we should take advantage of this accessible storehouse of information. Even when studying for entrance examinations, you should be able to obtain enough information to pass the exam without buying reference books.

Student B in Master Course

Why did you choose to study in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
The most significant reason was that I had been interested in mathematics since I was a high school student. I learned about the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course for the first time when I came across the course web site in my high school days. On the web site, research summaries of teachers in this course were posted. I learned the objective of this course for applying mathematical ideas in research to the real world, and decided to take entrance examinations for this course.
Did your impressions about the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course change after starting to study in the Course?
My impression of this course after enrollment was that it was as attractive as the enthusiastic presentations given by the teacher of this course when I was a first-year student. Attending actual lectures, I was surprised to find that Applied Mathematics and Physics could cover a broader scope than I expected.
Could you describe your experience in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?

What left a lasting impression on you, or was beneficial for you in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course Classes?
What struck me was the lecture concerning the broad coverage of Applied Mathematics and Physics which has a basis in actual phenomena.
What are some good things about joining the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
One of the good things might be that my mathematical thinking and insight was brushed up. A thorough four-year learning of various methods in Applied Mathematics and Physics increased my mathematical knowledge.

What impressions do you have about the time you spent as a member of a laboratory in fourth year?
Until third year, I focused on learning mathematical thinking. In fourth year, I made great efforts in my mathematical research, and had precious experiences.
What did you do when you were not studying?
Since the Applied Mathematics and Physics Classes mainly provide theoretical lectures and simulations, students have fewer required hours for experiments compared to other science courses. That is why I think that students can enjoy campus life outside academic work by making time to do so.
Advice to Freshmen
New students may have an impression that the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course is abstract and daunting compared to other courses in the Faculty of Engineering. However, since teachers are enthusiastic about explaining theories in lectures for the first-year students, I hope that new students get interested in this field.
Advice to High School Students
We now reach the age where quality is the decisive factor in selecting a university. Since the use of the Internet has rapidly increased from my high school days, high school students should view not just this course's but every university's web site, and ponder deeply about their academic career after entrance, as well as career options after graduation.

Student C in Master Course

Why did you choose to study in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
When I was a high school student, I took entrance examinations in the hope of going on to the Computer Science Course of the School of Informatics and Mathematical Science. However, in the lectures of "Outline of Informatics," "Introduction of Applied Mathematics and Physics," and "Introduction of Computation Theory," I took an interest in the linear programming and algorithms, and had a preference for the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course, rather than the Computer Science Course. In addition, I had a vague impression from reading "Recommendation of Applied Mathematics and Physics," a book I received immediately after I entered the university, that Applied Mathematics and Physics was an academic discipline which can help us do things that are useful in daily lives. That impression was one of my reasons to choose this course.
Did your impressions about the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course change after starting to study in the Course?
After joining this course, I got an impression that more lectures on mathematics and physics and fewer lectures of Operations Research (OR) and Control were provided than I had expected. However, it might have been because I was interested in OR. With regards to experiments, more opportunities to use actual devices and fewer opportunities to use computer simulations were provided than I had expected.
Could you describe your experience in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?

What left a lasting impression on you, or was beneficial for you in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course Classes?
In this course, I could understand that mathematical theories are not just armchair theories. I actually saw how mathematical theories became helpful for our lives. One example that struck me was a video showing that an unmanned helicopter successfully landed thanks to Control Theory.
What are some good things about joining the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
One good thing is that I am now able to implement programming, and to think about things theoretically by using mathematics and physics. In addition, I have expanded my mathematical and physical knowledge ranging from theoretical to application fields. Also, I have added control-related and OR fields to my knowledge.

What impressions do you have about the time you spent as a member of a laboratory in fourth year?
Graduate research is a good opportunity to spend a really productive time because we can receive one-to-one guidance from faculty advisers. I conducted research on Queuing Theory in my graduate research. Since that was based on what I had learned from classes in the first three years, including writing programs and deriving mathematical expressions, I did not have a hard time with it. In seminars in the laboratory, you can casually ask questions about what you do not understand. I think such an experience is also helpful because it is different from classes.
What did you do when you were not studying?
Main activities conducted outside academic work are part time jobs and club activities. In the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course, students can strike a balance between academic work and these activities. Since students have fewer required hours, they will even be able to do both part time jobs and club activities in addition to academic work, if they are good at juggling their time. In my case, I participated in club activities daily in addition to a part time job as a private tutor.
Advice to Freshmen
I think there are many new students who have wanted to go on to the Computer Science Course. I used to have the same desire. In the course of taking classes for first-year students, however, I changed my mind. Regardless of the final choice, I believe that students should take classes with a broader perspective rather than focusing on just one of these courses. Some students may have different impressions of the Computer Science Course, and some students may have different impressions even of the School of Informatics and Mathematical Science after entering the university. Students who want to do something using computers (e.g. programming) rather than creating a computer itself may be suited for the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course.
Advice to High School Students
I think many high school students might wonder what Applied Mathematics and Physics is. Applied Mathematics and Physics may not be as widely-known as mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. Since it also can be said that the word "system" is a key to Applied Mathematics and Physics, students who are interested in systems are suited for this study. In my private opinion, Applied Mathematics and Physics is the study program for students who like mathematics and physics and want to do something useful in the real world using computers. Since mathematics and physics are actually used in Applied Mathematics and Physics, as its name indicates, it is not the study for students who get sick by just looking at formulas. I also think that it is the study for students who like mathematics and physics but can not get great scores.

Student D in Master Course

Why did you choose to study in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
Although information was not my preferred field at first, I entered the School of Informatics and Mathematical Science because my preparatory school teacher recommended it as a field providing better opportunities in the job market, and I became interested in the vigorous IT industry. The reason I chose the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course after I entered the university was that I thought the course could offer broader job opportunities in the course selection time at the second year when I had no idea as to what line of profession I should choose in the future. The very intriguing lectures of Dr. Fukushima from the Applied Mathematics and Physics Introduction Course on Optimization made me become interested in optimization, which is a study for finding optimal solutions for daily phenomena by converting them into mathematical models.
Did your impressions about the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course change after starting to study in the Course?
The impression that this course offers quite a few mathematical and physical classes as the name indicates did not change even after I joined the course. Before attending lectures, however, I felt like avoiding physics-related classes because I was bad at physics to the degree that I got a "goose egg" on my physics high school trial test. In actual classes, since every teacher gave explanations in an orderly and logical fashion using diagrams, I could enjoy attending lectures more than I expected.
Could you describe your experience in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?

What left a lasting impression on you, or was beneficial for you in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course Classes?
Fundamental Mathematics Practice was very helpful for solving questions of differential equations and matrixes. English for Mathematical Science was good practice for presentations.
What are some good things about joining the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
One good thing for me was that I acquired a great deal of technical knowledge necessary for modeling various phenomena.

What impressions do you have about the time you spent as a member of a laboratory in fourth year?
When I was a fourth-year student, I was busy with graduate school entrance examination and graduate research. However, senior members of my research laboratory cared about me in various ways. They were very helpful taking me to many good restaurants for a change (I was feeling on top of the world, wondering if it was OK I was that happy when I was taken to the Sukiyaki restaurant "Mishima-tei" in my suit after a public thesis defense), and talking to me to teach me what I didn't know with care and kindness. Since information directly related to the graduate school entrance examinations was provided in seminars, these seminars were very useful in studying for entrance examinations.
What did you do when you were not studying?
In my case, I had relatively more time when I was a fourth-year student, and could travel around. The memory of endless surprises in my studying abroad will never leave me. After becoming a full-fledged member of society, you will not have the opportunity to take a long vacation. Visiting various places in my youth was a wonderful experience.
Advice to Freshmen
When I participated in over-night training for the first-year students and asked other students why they entered the School of Informatics and Mathematical Science, I was very surprised to find out that many students wished to become a game software creator. I hope that they will find the answer for what they should learn and acquire during the four years in university particularly in the School of Informatics and Mathematical Science by attending many special lectures. The best way to enjoy campus life will be if students try various things in the first two years in the university when they have relatively more time, and study hard in the last two years when they become busy studying for special classes. However, they should be careful not to enjoy their free time too much in the first year, and suddenly realize that they are left behind. Also, it's best to have many friends. Students should willingly talk to various people and expand their network of friends.
Advice to High School Students
My advice for high school students (especially third year students) is that if there are students who are giving up taking entrance examinations for the School of Informatics and Mathematical Science due to their bad trial test results, they are going in the wrong direction. There are many students who entered the university directly upon graduation while getting a D or an E in trial tests. They should pay attention to their trial test results only when they get a good grade. They don't have to worry about their bad grade. As for students who failed exams and are seeking another chance, they must not relax even when they get a good grade in a trial test. High school students just cannot improve their academic level enough to pass the exams until summer. In comparison with them, it is no wonder students who failed exams and are seeking another chance can get better grades than high school students in trial exams before summer. Study hard so as not to fail exams again, or you will regret it thinking, "If I had studied harder, I would be a student of the School of Informatics and Mathematical Science right now."

Student E in Master Course

Why did you choose to study in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
In my case, I had no definite reason for choosing this course, because I had wished to enter the Computer Science Course. However, my grade was not good enough to enter the Computer Science Course when I finished the first year, and had no choice but come to this course. It goes without saying that if you know where you want to belong, you must not fail to attend lectures in order to broaden your options.
Did your impressions about the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course change after starting to study in the Course?
Kyoto University gives students freedom of choice as rumor has it. You can do anything you want, at least in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course, School of Informatics and Mathematical Science.
Could you describe your experience in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?

What left a lasting impression on you, or was beneficial for you in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course Classes?
I think this course is characterized by its regular curriculum which covers a broad range of fields, from application to theory, by providing OR and control related classes, discrete mathematics classes including Graph Theory, and Pure Physics classes including Quantum Mechanics.
What are some good things about joining the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
Since students have fewer required hours for practice and experiments, they can devote their time not only to study but also to their other fields of interest.

What impressions do you have about the time you spent as a member of a laboratory in fourth year?
Since senior members in the laboratory were indifferent to the 4th year students in a positive way, it was not necessary that I pay attention to them more than I had to. In addition, I completed my graduation research project using only four months in the latter term (from October to January).
What did you do when you were not studying?
University students have lots of free time. Although they have a right to spend their free time doing anything, I think they should avoid idling away their free time doing nothing. For your information, I devoted most of my 5-year campus life to sleep and computers.
Advice to Freshmen
Four years in university is probably the only period in which you can spend as much time as you wish on what you want to do. Study or not, it is vital that you put your back into it. However, you should attend lectures as frequently as you can, because you paid money for them.
Advice to High School Students
Although it depends on the individual, it is essential to study for the entrance examination in order to enter a university.

Student F in Master Course

Why did you choose to study in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
When I was enrolled in the School of Informatics and Mathematical Science, I had only a vague interest in computers. Attending lectures after I entered the university, I found an academic expansion regarding what I could do using computers rather than computer science, the study dealing with computers themselves.
Did your impressions about the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course change after starting to study in the Course?
Since I had been informed that the Computer Science Course was more popular than the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course, I assumed that quite a few students would be put into the course they did not desire. However many students around me actually showed a strong desire to enter the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course, which created a pleasant atmosphere. I could spend my free time on my hobbies, because the curriculum of the course allows a lot of free time as I had imagined.
Could you describe your experience in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?

What left a lasting impression on you, or was beneficial for you in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course Classes?
In the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course, students will deal with theories in most cases. Even in experiments, they will often have to perform numerical calculations. What particularly struck me in such a circumstance was an Applied Mathematics and Physics experiment using an actual helicopter model. I believe that it was a good opportunity to imagine how the theories I usually learned and studied could be used in the real society.
What are some good things about joining the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
This may echo my answer above. Truly important to me was that it was easier to secure my free time in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course than in the Computer Science Course. While it is possible to conduct research on things closer to the science department, the fact that Applied Mathematics and Physics belongs to the engineering department may be an advantageous factor in the job market.

What impressions do you have about the time you spent as a member of a laboratory in fourth year?
In my laboratory, students were allowed to place a priority on studying for exams until they finish taking entrance exams for graduate school. After passing the entrance exam thanks to the laboratory's policy, I was given guidance on special research via workshops and seminars. One regret was that since my basic understanding of special research was insufficient, my research was not going well, and I realized only too well that I should have understood the lectures more deeply.
What did you do when you were not studying?
Kyoto is a city that can provide various "cultural stimuli," and is best suited for students' lives. Since I had a rich and rewarding student life in both my academic work and hobbies, I am glad I entered Kyoto University.
Advice to Freshmen
Some students might have entered Kyoto University just because they were attracted to the name of the "School of Informatics and Mathematical Science" like I was. However, even if they had an impression that this may be different from what they had imagined, they still have scores of opportunities to find something interesting after they enter the university. So, please enjoy your campus life. The Applied Mathematics and Physics Course is a place where something interesting can be easily searched for and found.
Advice to High School Students
Since I had not had many cultural experiences until my high school days were finished, I lamented how uncultured I was after entering the university. I believe students who intend to take the entrance examination for Kyoto University are or will be studying hard without my advice. However, if you say you don't read anything but reference books, how about experiencing the cultural world once in a while? It is good for a change of pace.

Student G in Master Course

Why did you choose to study in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
First of all, I chose the School of Informatics and Mathematical Science because I liked mathematics. To tell the truth, I did not even know about the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course before I entered the Kyoto University. In the course of studying at the university, I came to think that it was the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course that could provide an opportunity to learn a field of mathematics I had wanted to learn, and joined the course.
Did your impressions about the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course change after starting to study in the Course?
My impression of the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course before joining it was that we would be able to study practical mathematics rather than something abstract like disciplines taught in the faculty of science. That impression has not changed even after joining the course. Also, since the course offers fewer experiment classes, we could spare more time for theoretical study without being hectic in finishing reports.
Could you describe your experience in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?

What left a lasting impression on you, or was beneficial for you in the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course Classes?
When it comes to mathematics classes, we have an impression that it is a repetition of theorems and demonstrations (this is true in university). However, since the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course is one of the courses of the Faculty of Engineering, the answer to the question of "what is this for?"is obvious and understandable.
What are some good things about joining the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course?
One of the good things for me was that I could study what I wanted to. Also, since the course offers fewer experiment classes, we could make good use of our time without being hectic in finishing reports.

What impressions do you have about the time you spent as a member of a laboratory in fourth year?
I conducted research on systems to which noise was actively introduced, based on the Probability Theory. Although Probability was the subject I disliked most in my high school days, the Probability Theory we learn in a university is a subject similar to calculus, and is easy to deal with. My professor implemented a private seminar for me under the theme of my research. It was interesting to create new things rather than to learn something discovered by other persons.
What did you do when you were not studying?
We have lots of free time especially in our university days. I acquire various experiences including club activities and part time jobs. Particularly, I experienced various types of part time jobs, and learned a lot from them.
Advice to Freshmen
To tell the truth, I suppose only a few students will join the School of Informatics and Mathematical Science with the hope of entering the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course. However, I would like new students to willingly choose this course rather than to think that they have no other choice, because they will gain a lot from it.
Advice to High School Students
I believe that the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course is a discipline for students who like mathematics but wish to join the Faculty of Engineering rather than the Faculty of Science with a desire to be an engineer.