Smart, maybe. Growing up on strapped income, seeing the toll that it takes on an adult, can make for a pretty good motivator to study hard and focus on building a future that will give you the financial freedom to pursue more than the best deals. And he did have the benefit of an in-home teacher that stressed the importance of doing well in school his whole life. Which was all to say that Mamoru attributes most of his academic success to hard work and circumstance.

"I'm not sure. The advantage of spending the first year in general engineering is that it lets you sample all of the different fields to see what you like. What about you? Do you have any plans for yourself after school?"