UW Junior Joseph Platt poses with fellow students from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore where he is studying abroad for a semester.
I am Joseph, a junior English major at UW. I grew up in Evanston and, as a Mormon Missionary, I learned to enjoy a change of scenery, thus my participation in an exchange program. This semester I am a student and rugby player at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore.
As a former English colony, Singapore presents an eclectic mix of Eastern and Western cultures. A walk down the street always includes weaving through a crowd of Malay, Chinese and Indian people. Despite the blending of different cultures, everyone gets along well and the people of Singapore have been helpful and accepting of me since the day I arrived. It has been easy to get to know people because nearly everyone speaks English. In fact, English is the official language of the University.
One of my favorite parts of campus are the canteens (food courts) that are scattered across the university. Inexpensive Indian, Muslim and Western food is available everywhere and flying from Singapore to other south Asian countries also is very cheap. Common weekend destinations include Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
I arrived on campus at 2:30 a.m. on my first night in Singapore. I expected campus to be quiet. Instead, I was met by a group of cheerleaders making a Jabba-the-Hutt prop for an upcoming competition. Despite jet lag, they insisted that I hang out with them until 4:00 a.m.
The humid climate here makes nighttime the most preferred time. As a result, we all keep late hours together, regularly staying up until 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. I never thought I would be exercising in the middle of the night, but that is a regular routine in my life now.
Singapore is amazing. As a small-town Wyoming boy, I feel like I have stepped into a sci-fi movie. There are over 5 million people in the city and it is still growing. It is filled with modern buildings of all shapes, sizes and styles. My favorite building is called Skypark. I had one professor describe Skypark it as a “boat stranded on top of three tombstones.”
I am one of many exchange students at NTU. There are exchange students from over 27 countries and I have already made friends from Scotland, Germany, France, Mexico and Canada. The school here is fantastic; NTU was just ranked No. 47 in the world. All of my professors are good teachers and are rather eager to spend time with their students. Plus I have been able to take English classes, like Singaporean and Asian literature.
This has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I have learned a lot. I talk to people from all over the world about their values, dreams, and religion and I have learned so much about respect and about how I, as an individual and as an American, fit into the world arena. I suggest Singapore to anyone that has a sense of adventure and wants a taste for something a little different.
