Daily Life in the Laboratory

A Student's Weekly Schedule

Here is a model of a typical week for an M1 student. The lab has no core hours, so students are free to plan their research schedule independently.
If you are considering joining our lab, please take this as a reference.

  • M1 First Semester (Week with Monthly Seminar)

    • Many students take courses while formulating their research plans. There is plenty of free time, which students use at their discretion for research, part-time work, or personal activities.

  • M1 Second Semester (Week with Experiments)

    • By this time, most students have decided on a research theme and begin conducting experiments and analyses. Some also assists with student experiments, such as making RC beams.


    Seminars

    *Seminar schedules are for the 2024 academic year

  • Monday Seminar (Every Monday 8:30-8:45)

    • This is an online meeting held at the start of the week.
    Health status and the week's experiment schedules are shared among all participants. You can join from anywhere—on the train, at home, or in the lab.


  • Laboratory Seminars (held weekly by each laboratory)

    • Weekly seminars held by each laboratoriy.

    ― Seminar Schedule and Example Topics (Spring 2024) ―
    Iwanami Lab: Friday 10:45–12:25, Research Progress Reports
    Chichiwa Lab: Friday 10:45–12:25, Study Session on the Finite Element Method
    Matsuzaki Lab: Wednesday 9:00–10:40, Basic Research Study Session, Numerical Analysis Exercises, etc.

    Each week's seminar details are also introduced on the blogs of each laboratory. Please check them as well.

  • Monthly Seminar (Once a month, Saturday or Sunday afternoon)

    • A joint seminar between the three laboratories is held once a month. It takes place in a large lecture room on campus, and students present their research. This is a valuable opportunity to present and engage in Q&A sessions with a large audience in a spacious venue, which is not typically used for seminars!
    Afterwards, there is often a party to celebrate, offering a great chance to strengthen bonds.

    Seminar Scene
    Seminar Scene
    Recreation Scene
    BBQ Scene
  • Group Meetings (Once a week, about an hour)

    • Students form small groups (about 7 people) and hold student-led seminars within each group.
    These meetings serve as a space to consult with other members about experiment plans or research concerns.

    Daily Activities

    ~Experiments~

  • Concrete Casting
    •  

    Many experiments require physical tasks like casting concrete. To get everything done smoothly, members often help each other out, creating a collaborative and friendly environment!

  • Loading Tests
    •  

    Our lab is equipped with large-scale loading devices, and some members conduct dynamic loading tests, such as those on beams!
    Left: Experiment using an actuator　　 Right: Experiment using a 300t testing machine


    ~Lab Room~

    Our students' lab room is located in West Building 6 on the Ookayama Campus. Members can come and go freely, working on analyses, seminar preparations, thesis writing, and other tasks.


    This is the lab room shared by Iwanami and Chijiwa Labs. There are no partitions between seats, making it an open environment where it's easy to ask for advice when needed.

    Each seat is equipped with a personal monitor, making it comfortable to work on a PC.

    We also have a well-stocked collection of books, including design standards.

    Sometimes, we gather and enjoy casual conversations.


    ~Events~



    Concrete Lab Alumni Reunion (Every June)

    Lab Trip (Around August Every Year)

    Site Tours (Held as needed)

    Sports Recreation (Held as needed)


    We also introduce daily activities and events in our Concrete Lab Monthly Report. Please take a look as well.