GRC

Before starting classes, we have an orientation for a few days. Mentors explain about school, we get some information about upcoming events, and we make friends there. We can also get a free meal during the orientation. In addition, GRC offers an adventure trip, and we can enjoy some activities all day. This is a good chance to make friends, so you should actively try to start a conversation with many students or other people.

The class starts.

　There are 1–5 levels in the intensive English program. GRC sends us an email indicating which level we are learning after taking tests, including writing, summarizing, and speaking on Zoom. I started at level 3.

Level 3 (September to December)

The teacher was Fidda. We studied at the building SH, which is located at the center of the campus. The class lasts about 4 hours, from noon to 4 p.m. There were about 20 students who are from Indonesia, China, Myanmar, Japan, and Morocco in the class.
　

Speaking	We had presentations every two weeks , and the final week of the class had presentations twice. The styles were really varied; some were paired with classmates, others were plays, and some others were done alone. You have to prepare some PowerPoints for presentations, so we definitely need a laptop. The presentation must be finished within 3 to 4 minutes, so if you are over or less than the time limit, your scores will be deducted.
Grammar	The teacher distributes some handouts, and we learn basic grammar with them. We needed to buy a textbook at level 3, but actually, we rarely opened the textbook. One friend got the textbook from her friend who had been in level 3 in the previous quarter, and I think it’s a good idea to get it that way. We had a presentation about grammar for 40 minutes, so we needed to review thoroughly what we had learned. The assignments are grammar questions and should be submitted on a paper basis.
Writing	We learn how to write paragraphs. After the midterm, we start learning how to write in essay. In class, we write two essays with handwriting. The final writing test has a time limit of 90 minutes. The essay has many detailed rules that are difficult to follow, but the teacher teaches us kindly, so that’s fine. The assignment is to make an outline of the essay, and then the outline is checked by the teacher before starting to write the essay.
Listening	We listen to presentations by experts at TED talks. We take notes and answer questions. During the test, an audio recording of a brief college lecture is played, and we take notes and answer questions.
Reading	We are given some short readings to read with classmates. Several questions are given, and everyone answers them.


The Lecture of Essays	Fidda

The winter term is coming.
　Most students struggle with a number of assignments, and their difficulty increases when the level goes up. Play during the winter vacation and prepare yourself for the upper level.

Level 4 (January to March)

　The teacher was Hanna. We studied at the library. The class lasts about 5 hours, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There were about 15 students who are from Indonesia, China, Myanmar, Japan, Cambodia, Korea, and Morocco. At the beginning of the class, students pick up a card with an interesting topic and talk about the topic with each other. We did it in every class.

Speaking	We did presentations a total of six times. There was only one time when I was paired with a classmate. The rest were done alone. 3 out of 6 times we were uninformed about what topics we do in presentations, and we were given 10 minutes to prepare. We definitely have to use PowerPoint, so a laptop is needed. In addition, points are deducted if the presentation is not completed within the time limit.
Grammar	In midterms, we answer questions about basic grammar. In the second half of the quarter, students learn about the use of relative pronouns and conjunctions. We do not have textbooks, but we learn from some slides. The assignment is to answer grammar questions on the laptop.
Writing	We learn how to write an essay. We choose one topic from many options and write、 Once we complete our essays, they are checked by the teacher, and then we have a personal meeting with the teacher about our essay. What we wrote about was related to what we learned in geography class. The assignment is to make an outline of the essay, and then the outline is checked by the teacher before starting writing. Also, we do brief writing for 30 minutes once a week in the class. After midterm, we start learning how to write an argument essay.
Listening	Sometimes we watch a video of a geography class’s assignment. During the 20-minute video, we take some notes. We are given an assignment that asks for the video’s content. Sometimes we watch a movie, learn new vocabulary, and answer some questions related to the movie. Listening tests are held only on the last exam. During the test, an audio recording of a brief college lecture is played, and students take notes and answer questions. The frequency of tests is really dependent on the teachers.
Reading	We read a bunch of articles. The articles are difficult to understand because there is a lot of vocabulary we don’t usually use. Moreover, even if it’s translated in Japanese, it's still hard to get the contents. We submit assignments on the laptop. Then, the next day, the teacher explains the answers in class.

Geography Class

In level 4, we have a geography class with the students who are at the academic level once a week. It’s about 50 minutes . We learn the history of the river that flows in Seattle, feel solitude in the forest, and compare American roads to these in the rest of the country. In addition to the regular lectures in the classroom, there are also outdoor classes, such as exploring around the river and in the forest. Grading is based on the quality of group presentations.

The Gym

　GRC has a gym at the student union. Many kinds of machines are available at any time. You can do whatever you want. A variety of sports are scheduled for each hour of the day. I recommend making friends at the gym.

Club Activities

　GRC has a lot of clubs. The club I joined a few times provided us with enjoyable American games. (I’m not sure if that was an American game, but the leader said so, so I believe.) If you are interested, you can check out the college Instagram.