Period: September 14 – October 11, 2025
School: TARGET Global English Academy (Cebu, Philippines)
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★ Why I Chose the Philippines #
I chose to study in the Philippines because the cost-performance ratio for learning English here is incredibly high. You can take multiple one-on-one lessons each day at a reasonable price, which would be unthinkable in most other countries.
★ Why I Chose Target Academy #
Target is a Japanese-managed language school, which was exactly what I wanted. Since I also plan to work in Japan in the future, I thought it would be a great opportunity to make Japanese friends, learn more about their culture, and improve both my English and cross-cultural communication skills at the same time.
★ My Daily Class Schedule #
From Monday to Thursday, my day started at 8:30 a.m. with a vocabulary test, followed by seven lessons. On Friday, there was no test — just regular classes starting from 9:00 a.m.
| Time | Class / Teacher | Room | Contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 - 9:00 (Mon–Thu) | Vocabulary Test | Daily words review | |
| 9:00 - 9:45 | Power Speaking (Group) | G-07 | Group discussion & presentation |
| 9:55 - 10:40 | Kyla | B-07 | Talk Talk Talk 1 |
| 10:50 - 11:35 | Stella | B-11 | Speak Your Mind 1 & 2 |
| 11:45 - 12:30 | — | — | Free time (break / lunch / review) |
| 13:30 - 14:15 | Ricca | B-15 | Listening practice |
| 14:25 - 15:10 | Mae | D-33 | Reading Advantage 1 |
| 15:20 - 16:05 | Maris | B-09 | Engoo Daily News discussion |
| 16:15 - 17:00 | Pronunciation (Group) | G-09 | Mastering the American Accent |
★ Impressive Teachers #
Each teacher had their own unique charm:
- Kyla – Very cheerful and talkative; her class felt like chatting with a friend.
- Stella – Her lessons were fast-paced and always challenging, pushing me to improve quickly.
- Ricca – Gentle and patient, she carefully corrected my pronunciation and grammar mistakes.
- Mae – More like a friend than a teacher, I could talk with her about anything.
- Maris – Friendly but strict when needed. Her Engoo News class helped me build confidence in expressing opinions.
- Group classes (Power Speaking & Pronunciation) – Great for meeting new students and practicing public speaking.
★ Memorable Weekends #
◇First Weekend (Sep 19–21) #
On Friday, after finishing my classes, I joined my Japanese friend’s graduation ceremony. We took photos, had dinner, and planned to go shopping, but heavy rain ruined our plan. Instead, we played billiards until he left for Japan around 10 p.m.—I felt really sad. Later, another friend invited me for drinks. We played some drinking games, and it turned out to be a really fun night.
On Saturday, I woke up late because I was drunk the night before. After lunch, I tried studying but couldn’t focus. In the afternoon, my roommate and I visited a Christian church, though the traffic was terrible. At night, I had dinner with friends, sang karaoke at PINK CEBU, and went clubbing(CEBU ICON) until 1 a.m.—such a crazy night.
On Sunday, I woke up late again, had lunch, and studied in the self-study room. In the evening, I did some laundry and continued studying quietly. It was a simple but peaceful end to the weekend.
◇Second Weekend (Sep 27–28) #
I misunderstood a Japanese classmate, Mana — I thought there was something more between us, but actually, we were just friends. Still, that experience taught me an important lesson: sometimes you have to be proactive and take the first step, even if things don’t go as expected.
◇Third Weekend (Oct 3–5) #
On Friday night, I went to a bar with Jack (China), Zoom (China), Felix (Taiwan), and Winnie (Taiwan). On the way to get a massage, Winnie and I talked about what happened between me and Mana last weekend. She was like a love advisor, and her words made me realize I had misunderstood Mana.
When we arrived, the massage shop was fully booked, so Winnie made a reservation for 2 p.m. the next day. The next afternoon, we went together, and it was incredibly relaxing — a full-body massage for only 400 pesos!
After returning to school, I was playing billiards with Felix when Mana invited us to dinner(Maroo Korean Restaurant). During dinner, I apologized to her for my misunderstanding. Back at the dorm, I prepared for my Japanese Nursing Care Skills exams scheduled for Sunday.
On Sunday, I went alone to Centro Maximo Bldg., Room 308, to take the two exams. I passed the first one (Nursing Care Skills Evaluation Test in Chinese) but failed the second (Japanese Language Evaluation Test in Japanese). After the exams, I went shopping at H&M Home in Ayala Center Cebu, bought a pair of gray jeans, and studied again after returning to school. It was a perfect way to end the weekend.
◇The Final Week in Cebu #
Time flew by so fast that I could hardly believe it was already my last week in Cebu.
Wednesday, October 8
That night, Jack, Zoom, Felix, and I went to SM City Cebu for dinner and did some shopping afterward. It was just a simple night out, but it felt nice to hang out together one last time before the week ended.
Thursday, October 9
After dinner, Jack, Zoom, and I played billiards — I got lucky and kept winning! Later, I saw my new roommate Reo swimming, so the three of us, plus Felix, jumped into the pool to join him. Rihao, the Japanese manager who had just finished playing basketball, also came over. We ended up playing a tag game in the pool — it was so much fun!
Then my Japanese roommates Yuzu and Masa joined in too, and things got even livelier. We played until we completely forgot about the 7 p.m. English test. But honestly, it didn’t matter. Having that much fun together was worth it.
After showering, Felix called me to the E01 classroom to eat burgers and chat with Jack and Zoom. I also invited Winnie to come — I wanted to try her magical glasses that could record videos and take photos. We chatted for a while, laughed a lot, and later I went back to the dorm and played a few rounds of Valorant(video game) with Jack. That’s how our Thursday — the second-to-last day — came to an end.
Friday, October 10
Friday morning started normally — until an earthquake alarm went off after my first class. The second and third classes were canceled, which made my last day surprisingly relaxed. I took the chance to take photos with my teachers and friends, and asked them to sign their names on my white Cebu T-shirt.
After lunch, I went back to classes as usual. By 5 p.m., my final lesson was over — the end of my study journey at Target. I quickly changed into a black T-shirt because I had spilled bubble tea on the white one earlier.
The graduation ceremony started at 5:10 p.m. There were five of us graduating: Felix, Winnie, an Arab father and daughter, and me. It was my first English speech, and I was so nervous but excited. I had memorized my entire script, and seeing my roommates Jack, Zoom, Yuzu, Reo, Masa, and friends like Mita there meant a lot to me.
After taking lots of photos, I went back to my room to pack for the next morning’s flight. Around 6:30 p.m., Mana came to find me. I was really touched — I had made her feel uncomfortable before, so I wanted to apologize. She gave me a letter, which meant a lot to me. We took a picture together, and that small moment made everything right again.
Later at 9 p.m., I went out with Jack, Zoom, and Winnie to Café Hayati, an Arabic restaurant. We had dinner and tried shisha — I didn’t know how to smoke it, so I just gave it a try. We talked until midnight before heading back to school. Then Jack, Zoom, and I played Valorant(video game) until after 1 a.m. I couldn’t sleep the whole night — maybe because I didn’t want to waste my last few hours in the Philippines. I finally fell asleep around 4 a.m.
Saturday, October 11
I woke up around 7:30 a.m., got ready, and double-checked my luggage. Then I sat by the gate with Jack, Zoom, and Felix, chatting one last time before I left. I was really grateful they got up early just to send me off.
Saying goodbye wasn’t easy. Thank you, my friends — see you again someday. Good luck, everyone.
★ Reflection #
After a month of studying abroad, I realized that my English had improved, but the real growth went far beyond language. I learned how to connect with people from different cultures, how to express myself, and how to face my own shortcomings honestly.
Life at Target was like a small society — studying, misunderstanding, communicating, apologizing, and then moving forward. It wasn’t always easy, but every moment helped me grow.
When I left Cebu, I quietly told myself:
“Next time I set out, it won’t just be to learn a language — it will be to become a more complete person.”
★ Photo Gallery (81 photos) #
