My first semester at Berkeley is over and I'm back in Singapore for winter break. The 20-hour flight prompted a little reflection of the experience, which I thought I'd share here.
I was in the US for four months. It felt a lot longer. Part of it was being so far away from home; I'm not the sentimental type, and I didn't think I would miss home, but I did. Then, there was the excitement of (finally) starting university, and going for lectures, and slogging through homework and midterms.
So here are some of the more significant things about studying in the US that I've learnt in the past semester.
1. America is an extremely diverse place. At Berkeley, a public institution, I saw many kinds of people - not just racially, but also socioeconomically. The courses are correspondingly more diverse... breathtakingly diverse, actually. The things you can do on campus are also very varied. I joined the Women's Chorale, just for fun, and we sang all sorts of pieces: Disney songs, a Latin oratorio, traditional Christmas songs, and jazz tunes.
2. Studying in this environment is very refreshing. I liked going for lectures to learn, which doesn't usually happen, but the profs were dynamic and passionate about what they taught, which made me very interested in hearing what they had to say. Of course, this doesn't apply to all courses (I'm guessing I won't be quite so enthusiastic about Physics 7A next semester), but the fact is that Berkeley and other top US institutions attract the best of the best academics, and you are sure to find a few who pique your interest and galvanize you into delving deeper.
3. The graduate students can similarly be as inspiring. I say can because they don't have the experience of professors. The system of big universities using graduate students to teach undergrads is both good and bad: on one hand, they're not professors; on the other hand, they might care about teaching more, and they're definitely more accessible. I had varying experiences with graduate students this semester. One, who taught my writing class, was really not that great - she knew her material, but was very disorganized. On the other hand, I am extremely grateful for being able to take a class with my chemistry TA, who was patient, friendly and helpful.
4. Stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason. I went to the US trying to keep an open mind. I told myself that the America represented by their media was an exaggeration; but it wasn't. There really were people like that. There were those addicted to pot, and those fitness gurus. There were those who couldn't get a B to save their life, and those who got 4.0s without trying. There were the hobos on the street, and the rich heirs and heiresses.
Now for some application... here are some warnings and suggestions:
1. Being diverse, America can be both liberal and constricting. People there curse a lot. A lot. The f-word gets thrown around every five seconds, and you learn to desensitize yourself to it, which may or may not be a good thing. There's also a lot of drugs, drinking and sex going on. Generally, there isn't much racial discrimination (at least in California), but some people really are ignorant and may say things that are offensive.
Some advice that I got from Mr Jeremy Ang that I'd like to pass on, because it's really helped me: No matter which country, before you go overseas, decide on your values, your absolute limits, and make a commitment to stick to them. That way, you won't have to ask yourself whether something is okay right at that moment, because your conscience will know the answer and remember the reasons for it, and this makes it easier to resist peer pressure.
2. Singaporeans generally don't have a problem keeping up in classes, but the style of instruction and examination may differ hugely from what you're used to. Class participation, for example, tends to have a higher weightage - you have to speak up, or risk doing badly. One interesting thing about the US is that you can write your entire exam in pencil, and it's fine. In fact, it's encouraged, because the paper looks neater.
3. Vocabulary. Americans will be confused and not understand some things you say. There are the well-known things like torch vs flashlight, dust bin vs trash can, etc. But there are some that no one ever tells you about. One in particular: "marking" homework. It's called "grading" there. I've lost count of the number of times I've used the word "mark" in this manner and had to repeat myself using the word "grade". And do not ever use the phrase "pass up" to mean "hand in" (this is simply bad English, but since it's so common in Singapore, it merits a mention).
4. You can convince many Americans that you're from Britain or Australia if you really want to. Or New Zealand, if it comes up in conversation. Try it.
5. Take full advantage of office hours. As mentioned earlier, the profs and graduate students all Know Their Thing And Like It Very Much, so use this opportunity to pick their brains. Most of them are truly interested in meeting students who want to know more (not students who don't study and ask silly questions, so be sure to know your stuff or at least be able to act like you do).
Okay that's all I can think of for now. Merry Christmas, everybody, and enjoy the last of your school holidays.
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