Yesterday, I had my first experience of a radio show recording. I was asked a lot of questions, but there was one thing I forgot to mention. The question was, "How did you get into Oxford University? Before this question, I had a question about why I study environment. I told them that I had cycled around Australia and was so impressed by the beautiful environment that I decided to study the environment.
And actually, these two questions are connected.
Oxford University shortlisted me for a full scholarship, so the university contacted me to do an interview. They told me that an interview over the phone would be fine, but Francis, who was a mentor at the time, said, "Go to the venue", and it was just during the final exam, so I flew to Tokyo for only three days to have my interview. For the first time in three years, I was in Japan, but I couldn't go back to my parents' house in Aichi prefecture. I thought I was well prepared for the interview, but the question was that I cycled around Australia for more than half or even longer of the interview. I think it was a story such as "Why did you do that?" Or "Did you think it was dangerous?"
After the interview, I rushed back to New Zealand and was checking my email in the computer lab.
I got an email saying that I had been accepted. Anyway, I wanted to tell someone, and I knew a Hong Kong guy in the computer lab, so I told him, but he didn't understand. I then contacted my girlfriend, now my wife, to say that I had been accepted for the scholarship. At that point, she thought that our relationship was over. In the end, we ended up getting married in Oxford.
I don't know how I ended up getting the scholarship. I'm sure there were other students who did better than me. But when I think about the fact that half of my interview time was spent cycling around Australia, I can't help but feel that this is somehow related. When I was cycling around, I had no idea that such a ridiculous thing would lead to me getting a scholarship to Oxford University. Anyway, I did what I set my mind to do, and I did it to the best of my ability, and that's how I ended up in the future.
So, to answer my first question correctly, I studied hard, but I also took seriously the idea of cycling around Australia, which is what I wanted to do. As a result, I decided to study the environment, which is how I got my PhD at Oxford. I think that's why I got my PhD at Oxford.
That was the beginning of Think-Do-Be.