Studying in the US vs SG

By Shin Ning Chan

Every once in a while during our university admissions process, we have to make significant choices that will determine a lot of our experiences over the next few years. One such decision is deciding which country to pursue our education in. Whether you are just beginning to think about university or have already received your offers, as long as a US school is within consideration, this article is for you!

A current sophomore (year two) in the University of California, Berkeley, I had chosen to go to America over other local options such as NUS and Yale-NUS. While a lot of my experiences may be subjective, I hope that they can nevertheless provide some insights as you make your own choices!

Sunset view from "The Big C" looking out over the UC Berkeley campus (photo by me)

Academics

Structure

One of my main driving forces for going to the US was that I did not know which field I wanted to go into. I did not want to be forced into deciding too early just because of an education system. Unlike Singapore universities such as NUS, the US often does not require students to declare a major until the end of their second year. This gave me the freedom to explore countless subjects that I did not have exposure to in my pre-university education. Many US universities have a general liberal arts curriculum, where students fulfill courses across a variety of disciplines - such as arts & literature, philosophy, biological sciences, physical sciences, mathematics/statistics, etc. - as part of their graduation requirements. I personally feel that this is a valuable aspect of my education that exposes me to many different fields!

Of course, there are also options for going to US universities with a declared major. However, based on a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) friend’s experience, the process of switching majors is a lot easier compared to in Singapore. This flexibility means that students are a lot less tied down to the major they initially chose. Nonetheless, every university has their own policies on major changes, so make sure to do your own research on your school.

Variety

Yale-NUS in Singapore is the first in Asia to offer a liberal arts system similar to the US. However, the US stood out to me because of the wide range of available majors (that I could dabble in, take courses from, and test out my interest for). As of now, Yale-NUS only offers a limited number of fields that one can pursue. In general, Singapore universities (even NUS) tend to be limited to more “practical” options, while US universities have a diverse and wide range to choose from. In UC Berkeley, for instance, we have majors such as Classics, Film French, Rhetoric, Legal Studies, Ethnic Studies, Public Health, Earth and Planetary Science, Nuclear Engineering and so much more!

Focus

From a few friends in STEM, the consensus is that Singapore’s STEM courses are more geared towards solving exam problems, while courses in American universities tend to be more focused on conceptual understanding and applying concepts. Once again, universities’ curriculums may differ even within a country, so make sure to do your research on how courses are taught in the schools you are considering. Definitely try to ask a senior from that school for a more in-depth understanding!

Rigor

In terms of academic rigor, some friends and I agree that Singapore’s university courses tend to start off at a faster pace than many US courses. This is likely due to the fact that our junior college curriculums are quite intense, and we are thus expected to be equipped with a lot of fundamental knowledge before starting university. In the US, on the other hand, there is no standardized national examination, and entry-level university courses tend to cover a lot of information that Singapore students already know. That said, there are definitely some courses in the US that are challenging from the very beginning. Do check out the courses offered by your schools of choice, and talk to seniors to find out more.

Extracurricular Activities and Housing

Clubs, Societies, Organizations

My experience in Berkeley has made me feel that Singapore and US universities differ quite a lot in terms of extracurricular activities. Singapore’s activities seem to revolve quite heavily around non-academic pursuits, while a lot of US schools tend to prefer clubs aligned with particular academic fields. Berkeley, for instance, is strong in the tech and business fields. Our tech and consulting clubs are hence very big deals, with many students vying for membership. For many international students especially, extracurricular activities are an extension of their studies, a way to get industry experience and connections. There is definitely pressure to participate in such clubs - even if other non-academic clubs exist, they may not be the norm.

Orientation

Singapore universities’ orientations have a pretty overt focus on relationship-building. Students are reaching a new stage of their lives, and are eager to make friends in their faculties and halls. In the US, however, there is more of a need to do actual orienting in orientation. As students come from different cities, states and countries, it becomes necessary to have activities geared towards learning about the campus and city. The orientations in the two countries thus have rather different purposes.

Dorms

In the US, shared rooms are more of a norm than in Singapore. Two, three or even four to a room is common there, while Singapore students usually have singles or doubles. Take care also to check out common practices and values of your school, including whether they use mixed gender bathrooms, etc. Another important point: depending on which part of the US you go to, your access to bubble tea may be affected D: what is home without bubble tea? It also seems that student life in the US rarely revolves around dorms (US is more about the campus life), compared to Singapore where students are highly involved in hall activities.

Culture and Personal Growth

Student Attitudes

Politically and socially active students are very much the norm in the US (seriously, my whole Instagram feed changed upon going to America). They are also very used to doing large-scale events such as organizing campaigns and marches, which just isn’t a thing in Singapore. This is really fascinating to me, but it may be overwhelming for some. In the same vein, US students tend to have more agency within their school to effect change. Almost everything in Berkeley is student run – I know of very little that involve “adults” or the school administration.

Independence

On personal growth, the amount of independence that you will develop from pursuing your education overseas is unmatched. There’s no such thing as bringing your laundry home on the weekends; time differences can make even regular communication with loved ones a lot more difficult. Besides physical survival (cooking, cleaning, not freezing), there’s also a lot of emotional independence to living in a foreign place. For me, this was a chance to truly learn myself and forge my own way. Ask yourself: is this something you want to go through? Will it make you, or break you?

Worldview Expansion

To me, Singapore’s education system feels like a bubble. Growing up, I was surrounded by people really similar to me, many of whom have also been around me since young. While I always appreciated the comfort, I knew that it was a shelter, a safe harbor that limited my understanding of the world. Going to school in the US was my attempt to experience and learn new perspectives. True enough, America gave me the chance to interact with and learn from high volumes of people different from me, most of whom I could not have met back home.

Reputation, Cost and Safety (the more duh stuff)

Reputation

I decided to go to the US partially due to my university’s reputation. I was aware that many US universities are highly ranked in the world, and that attending a reputable university will open doors for me in the future. The Singapore workforce, in particular, still cares quite a lot about factors such as university ranking. This factor became more important for me because I was uncertain about my major, and could not bank on a school’s strength in a particular field.

Cost

College in the US is expensive for international students. The exact number varies among schools (some factors that affect the cost include whether it is a private or public university, as well as whether they offer financial aid to international students). My school fees (tuition alone) are around USD50,000 per academic year. Housing, food, transportation, books, supplies and other personal expenses are among other costs of studying abroad. (Where I study in the San Francisco Bay Area, costs of living are on the higher end of the spectrum - eating out averages USD15 a meal and off-campus housing will set you back around USD800-1300 a month. How you budget depends heavily on you, on matters such as hunting for PDF textbooks, cutting down on traveling or cooking more at home.)

Safety

We who grew up in Singapore are more than blessed to have enjoyed high levels of safety since young. I will not say too much on this, but just know that America is nowhere near as safe as Singapore. Furthermore, different cities vary in terms of crime rates, etc. so please take this into consideration. In general, walking alone after sunset is highly inadvisable (regardless of your gender), leaving your belongings anywhere (even in a locked car) is a no-no, and being alert and aware of your surroundings is a must. A huge lesson going to the US has taught me is to not take for granted our general ease of being outside at night.

Last words: this may feel like a scary choice, but I believe that with an open mind and willing heart, you will be able to learn a lot no matter where you go. So trust me, you’ll be okay! All the best with your university admissions/enrollment ☺