Clara Chong

Class of 2018
Majoring in Psychology and Corporate Communication

It was in 2015 that I decided I really wanted to go to the United States for my exchange. In the two years leading up to 2017, friends and family have expressed their concerns – from the tumultuous political climate, to worries about my safety and how culturally different the US is from Singapore. Nevertheless, not once has my decision wavered because I knew I had to step out of my comfort zone – Singapore, and travel to the country I have always dreamt of living in someday.

Pitzer College: A Hidden Gem

Most SMU students have never heard of a small liberal arts college like Pitzer College. In the United States, Pitzer College is well-known to not only be prestigious, but one of the happiest, free-spirited colleges with one of the best on-campus dining options in the entire country. Pitzer College is part of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five liberal arts colleges – Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College, Pomona College and Scripps College. As I share about my experience, I hope you will be able to see just how blessed I have been to be selected for this exchange program and that it could be you too!

A Warm Pitzer Welcome

From settling in to when you leave, the college really makes sure to take care of you. One of the best things about studying abroad at Pitzer College is the host family system that they have which most exchange programs do not.

Although my mother and I got here a week earlier to explore Los Angeles on our own, Pitzer College arranged for each exchange student to stay with a host family in Claremont for a week before the semester started. It is then up to each student to continue keeping in touch with their host parents.

In the week that I stayed with the Taylor family, it was my host mother Ellen Taylor’s 73rd birthday and they had a past host student from Hong Kong visiting as well. Seeing how close my host parents had become with their past host students for over 20 years now has really given me a warm introduction to a local American family. Over the semester, I chose to make the effort to keep in close contact with the Taylors. There have been so many special memories with Marshall and Ellen Taylor. From spending time with their loving family and grandkids, to going to their weekly Friday night parties, to learning about American history and from all the meals and conversations that I get to have with them, I feel so fortunate to have adults that I can turn to in case anything happens and a house I can call home. Marshall always says in Spanish, “Mi casa es tu casa” which means “My home is your home” and they have certainly contributed largely in making me feel welcome in the United States. Ellen Taylor also used to be the Mayor of Claremont and seeing how actively involved she is in her community from her youth until now has really inspired me to do the same back in Singapore.

Pitzer College also pairs each exchange student with local American students as room- and suite-mates. This was definitely an experience I was looking forward to yet slightly nervous as I have never lived with people whom I hardly knew. How fortunate I was to have a suite of three wonderful, kind and hilarious girls to live with!

Apparently, it is culturally normal to not be very close to your roommates but I told myself that if I was going to see these ladies every day for 5 months, we might as well become friends instead of staying as acquaintances. This is also my philosophy for making new friends in class, or the student clubs that I participated in at the Claremont Colleges. My dormitory experience has been a true highlight of my exchange. During those times that I have felt alone, faced hardships of any kind, these girls were like the sisters that I could count on. They have seen me through my ugly tears, we have had deep conversations and I have felt so much at home and learnt so much from my friendships with these ladies. I can only say that I miss them so very much already.

As an exchange student at Pitzer College, the food is also one of the best reasons why one should choose to come here. We are always spoiled for choices when it comes to dining on campus and if you do get sick of the food, there are many other options off campus too. The Claremont Colleges have six dining halls to choose from and I never once had to cook.

With six dining halls open for buffet-style breakfast, lunch and dinner and a website where you can see what is being offered at each dining hall every day, it was always fun to go to different dining halls for their speciality food-of-the-day. For instance, Harvey Mudd has the best steaks on Mondays, Pitzer has my favourite Poke bowls on Thursdays, Pomona serves Açaí bowls for breakfast, and so on. Sometimes when I am in the dining halls, I feel like I am in every foodie’s dream because there are so many savoury and sweet treats that are hard to resist and the colleges pride themselves in serving healthy and locally grown food too.

Having a delicious array of food conveniently located to me each day instead of having to cook for myself was a huge privilege and I am aware of that. Hence, this serves as a reminder to not take something as simple as food for granted. I made sure to thank the chefs who prepared my food in front of me because I knew how tiring it must be to make so many plates of food for around 100 to 200 students every day. I also found it important to make sure that I was keeping any food waste to a minimum. Overall, I must say I have put on some weight in America all thanks to the dining halls but I already miss all the unique food creations. Also, you can always make full use of the gyms on campus or burn calories by walking from Pitzer College to Pomona College, which takes about 20 minutes.

The Amazing Classes

I wanted to experience what a rigorous American liberal arts college education was like and I was very impressed with what I have learnt in class. The good thing about the Pitzer College exchange program is that it allows students to take classes at any of the Claremont Colleges. I really took advantage of this and took classes at four of their five colleges. This allowed me to interact with students from all over the campus and experience the distinctive student culture that each college had. I took Fan Culture and Celebrities at Pitzer College, which gave me a better understanding of how the US Hollywood studio system has continued to thrive in spite of shifting industrial and technological changes in the media industry. I also took Developmental Psychology at Claremont McKenna College (which was my favourite class), International Economics at Pomona College and Introduction to Music: Sound and Meaning at Scripps College, which explored how music relates to culture from diverse historical epochs through listening to important works of Western music. In a nutshell, the small class sizes of 8 to 20 students, the active discussions, and friendly professors really made studying here so enjoyable. I would dare say that after coming here, SMU’s class size of 40 to 45 seems relatively huge in comparison.

Developmental Psychology at Claremont McKenna College was by far my favourite class because as a Psychology major in SMU, I was simply blown away by how different Psychology classes were taught here. I am used to reading several research articles, discussing them in class, doing group projects and having exams on class materials in SMU. Little did I know that at Claremont McKenna College, it would be a totally hands-on experience instead where I would intern at a preschool three hours a week with the most adorable children. Combining research articles and first-hand interaction with children to analyse topics such as children’s humour and their self-regulation skills made each class discussion so much more personal and heart-warming. Although I found the work load pretty demanding as it involved an internship, about 15 individual essays, a group report and presentation, I found the curriculum very comprehensive of early childhood education and totally worth learning about. With only eight students in class, a wonderful professor, amazing preschool teachers and kids whom I have built relationships with. It was truly a memorable class.  

Find Your Crowd, Build Your Communities

Being apart from your loved ones can be disorienting and hence, I also strived to find a like-minded community. With my Christian faith being important to me, I asked around and managed to find a bible study group and a weekly fellowship night that has blessed me with other believers that spurred each other on during the semester and grew me deeper in the word. I would say that if there is a central community that you have in Singapore and you would like to find something similar at the Claremont Colleges, do not hesitate to ask around for they have communities for almost everything. Seek and you shall find.

Besides joining communities, there are also many events that happen on campus, from themed parties, to snack nights, music festivals and car shows, even though Claremont may seem like a peaceful, quaint little town, there are also many things to do if you would only choose to join in the fun!

West Coast, Best Coast!

There are so many reasons to love California, with being just a train away from the heart of Los Angeles the top reason for someone like me who wanted to soak in the arts and entertainment that the City of Angels offers. In the past five months, I have attended a NBA game at Staples Centre, Warner Brothers Studio Tour, Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman concert, great museums like LACMA and The Broad, hiked at The Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign area, played at theme parks by Disney, Universal Studios and Six Flags and chased those California sunsets.

Coachella 2017 – The 3 Best Days of Our Lives!

Spending three days at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival was definitely one of the most unforgettable experiences. I even got to critique Hans Zimmer’s orchestra set for my music class. From camping outdoors, raving to well-known acts such as The XX, Lorde, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Martin Garrix, to getting to know new lesser-known acts, I felt like I had gained a new appreciation for musicians who do this for a living and the people who make such festivals a reality for the rest of us to enjoy. I cannot wait to come back to the US for more music festivals!

Nature, Big Cities and the South

As you travel through the different US states, you will start to see that each state is unique and has its accentuated culture. During my time here, I focused on exploring some of the US’ best nature parks, cities and visiting a part of the South, which is unlike any other part of the States. During my spring break, I also ambitiously travelled to five cities – Seattle, Chicago, Boston, Santa Monica and New York, in 12 days. The best parts about going on travel adventures were the scenic road trips along the West Coast, being a female solo traveller and meeting other solo travellers in budget hostels, feeling like you finally know how to spend money wisely in order to pay for flights, accommodations, etc. 

Some Parting Advice

Before I end off, I would just like to summarise five pieces of advice for students considering this exchange.

1) Make the effort to make genuine connections (Don't give up!)

Some people will tell you that Americans are superficially friendly but not keen on making real friendships. However, do not let this get to you as you make local friends. In my opinion, it all boils down to how much you sincerely care for this new friend, and regardless of their nationality, as long as the friendship is genuine and you continue to initiate without fearing initial rejections, some long-lasting friendships can be made.

2) Be open to new opinions without having to compromise on your values

It is true that the United States is culturally and socially different from us, especially in California which is considered to be a more liberal state. Even though you may have your own views on social issues, it will benefit you to keep an open mind as to what the local students have to say. The Claremont Colleges have created a great space for such open discussions and as long as mutual respect can be established, do not be afraid to stand up for what you believe as well.

3) Learn as much as you can from the American education system

I have observed that most SMU students go abroad to “escape” from studying but it would be a waste to not enjoy the classes at the Claremont Colleges too. Yes, some classes are intense but they are also intensely fun. To me, going abroad is not about taking a break from studying, but about learning without having the pressure to score “A” grades. It hence makes more sense to me to have fun learning in class and have fun travelling instead of skipping classes and worrying about whether one would pass the classes or not.

4) Make the most of the opportunities that the United States, has to offer!

I agree with most people when they say that the US is a land of opportunity. There are many happenings, many great places to travel to, networks to be made and so on. I would suggest looking up on all the events that are going to take place during the semester you are in the US and organize a schedule so that you can have a great study-life balance.

5) Rediscover yourself

As a typical SMU student, we all occupy our time with so many productive things. For the longest time, I have been placed in leadership positions and took up several responsibilities. Being away from the busyness and familiarity of it all truly liberated me to see myself for who I was without the responsibilities and communities I had in Singapore. It was hard at first feeling weak, vulnerable and out-of-place but over time, I became more in touch with who I am. I have the people I have met here to thank, they reaffirmed my strengths and exposed to me to the weaknesses and built me up from there. Do not be afraid of how alone, insecure or scared you may initially feel, you will eventually emerge braver and more at peace with yourself after you go through those unsettling emotions in the beginning. Embrace them!

Last but not least, there are three Pitzer students who are coming to SMU this coming Fall semester! So feel free to give them a friendly smile and befriend them if you meet them. I am glad that it’s going to be my turn showing these students around Singapore. And as I look back at my exchange experience, I can only say it is the friendships made and how I have grown through my interactions with these people that have made this experience truly unforgettable.