Name: Larissa Allen
Major: Bioengineering
Study Abroad: Nanyang Technological University
What program are you doing/have you done?
I did the Global Engineering Exchange program (GE3) and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore for the Fall 2015 semester.
How did you get to your study abroad?
I went to my advisor freshman year and said that I would like to study abroad but didn’t really know where I wanted to go. I had some places in Europe that I thought about, but Kristine Lalley suggested that I go to Singapore, so that’s what I did!
What do you wish you knew before you left?
I wish I would have known more about the culture before I left so I wouldn’t have felt as alienated in Singapore. Singapore is a very unique hybrid of Western and Eastern cultures, and it would have helped to know more about the culture there before I left. Part of that culture I wish I was prepped on was how seriously they take school in Asia. I had a general idea that school was taken really seriously there, but I had no idea how much emphasis Singaporeans truly put on their work and education.
In what ways was school rigorous there? What was your typical day like compared to Pitt?
School was rigorous over there mainly because of the extremely competitive environment. All of the courses were bell-curved according to the average, so everyone was trying to get ahead of the curve to obtain the best grade possible. For example, one time a fellow exchange student and I were having trouble with a calculus concept, and we asked one of the local students if she knew what was going on in the class. She told us, “Yes, but I’m not going to help you,” and moved a few seats over. It was definitely an experience unlike any I have had in my American classes.
In regards to schedule, the actual lectures were about the same as at Pitt, but I think much more of my time was spent studying. While I was able to explore the region, I had to study much more than I thought I would with the courses I was taking.
Even though they have a lot of English and Western culture there, in what ways was it difficult to fit in as an American?
I had the feeling that Singaporeans like foreigners until you start to live there. They love tourists and are polite towards them (myself included), but once you start to integrate into their culture, it gets much more difficult for an American. At university, Americans were stereotyped to be lazy and unmotivated, which had a negative effect on my relationships with local students. Once those stereotypes were proved false, it was much easier to grow close to Singaporeans, but up until then I felt like there was a massive barrier between the internationals and the locals. There was also a language barrier between the older Singaporean population and I, since many emigrated from other areas of Asia. That barrier was difficult to get over, but I was quickly able to learn how to use my hands to convey what I wanted.
What is the best/funniest/most interesting story you have from abroad?
The electro-house musician Steve Aoki was doing his Asia tour to promote his new album, so my friends and I decided to go to the Singapore show. It was really cool to scream and dance with a bunch of Singaporeans (and my international friends). They kept doing this chant I had never heard before. It was really cool to see the fun-loving side of Singapore, instead of the studying/working side I was used to interacting with. A Singaporean and I ended up becoming friends at the concert and we got cake dumped on us by Steve. It was definitely a night to remember! We went to a hawker centre (an open-air complex with inexpensive food stalls aka the BEST places to get food) after the concert and met more fellow concert-goers. It was one of my best nights in Singapore.
Photo Credit: Provided by the author