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Learning is about accumulation.
Armed with curiosity,
Passed the weather forecaster exam while still a student.

College of Arts and Sciences 4th Grade

Yuka Matsushita

Main content

I obtained my long-desired weather forecaster qualification.

In January 2024, I passed the weather forecaster certification exam, achieving my childhood goal of becoming a certified weather forecaster.
 
The weather forecaster certification exam is divided into "written exam (general knowledge and specialized knowledge)" and "practical exam." If you pass the written exam, you are exempt from it for one year. Therefore, I planned to first aim to pass the written exam and then concentrate on the practical exam.
 
I began serious exam preparation in 2020. Professor Yukimasa Tsubota College of Arts and Sciences enthusiastically guided me not only in university classes and seminars but also in the Weather Forecaster Exam preparation courses. I still cherish the saying, "Learning is accumulation, and if you move forward step by step, you will surely reach your goal."
A scene of a wave experiment being conducted.

Learn meteorology from various perspectives J. F. Oberlin University

Scenes from the graduation research presentation of a science seminar.
My interest in meteorology began in my childhood. I became curious about why it snows and how typhoons form, and I began researching various weather phenomena. I was particularly fond of weather fronts, finding it fascinating how they influence changes in temperature, wind direction and speed, and precipitation. I wanted to be able to predict tomorrow's weather, and after learning that there was a profession called weather forecaster, "becoming a weather forecaster" became my unwavering goal.
 
There are few educational institutions in Japan where you can study meteorology, and after graduating high school, I seriously agonized over where to study. Among them, I chose J. F. Oberlin University College of Arts and Sciences because I believed I could learn about meteorology from various perspectives. In addition to majoring in meteorology in the Natural Area /Physics program, there are many courses related to meteorology. In fact, I chose informatics as a minor (minor). I believe that acquiring the basics of information systems and databases was useful for my graduation research.

I want to use what I've learned at university to contribute to society.

Starting next year, I will be working for a company that handles IT infrastructure-related businesses. It will be a bit of a departure from meteorology, but I would like to make the most of the knowledge of information science I gained at university and the experience in data analysis I acquired through my research to contribute to society.
 
During my time at university, I sometimes fell ill, which disrupted my studies. I also stumbled many times during my job search. It is thanks to the encouragement of my friends and family, and the support of everyone at the university, that I am where I am today. I am truly grateful.
 
I hope all students will find a field that interests them and diligently and proactively deepen their learning. If you haven't found what you want to do yet, it's a good idea to try taking classes in various fields. University students have plenty of time. Enjoy your university life to the fullest through various activities such as part-time jobs, internships, and travel.

Yuka Matsushita

profile
I was a member of the first class of the weather forecaster certification exam preparation course and passed the exam in January 2024. I chose meteorology as my major and informatics as my minor.

Interview date:
*This interview was conducted in February 2025.

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