Just some observations I've noted during my short time here. I'm not trying to be discouraging or depressive, but if it comes out that way then I apologise to both UW Law School and NUS. UW is a really nice place and it's a good school. But anyway.
If you don't like being alone, you should do one or more of the following - they're not mutually exclusive and the more, quite literally the merrier.
- Go to Europe. The level at which you're studying is (I believe, correct me if I'm wrong) undergraduate, which means people are more attuned to your level of thinking; people will be more willing to invite you for nonsense and your friends are nearer by and possibly more accessible.
- Live in a dormitory. Sure, you have to deal with drunken parties and noise at night, as well as shared bathrooms and toilets (both of which can be pretty gross) but you have company, a chance to know people, party etc.
- Join student activities catered for international folk. No one knows anyone, so it could go horribly bad, or if you're lucky, amazingly right. Plus the litany of international chicks is enough to tease one's fancy, whichever colour you may adore.
(P.S. It is at this juncture that I am reminded that there are no "races", the only race is the human race. As in, we're not so differentiated as to call it races - that's the hypothesis I read in a book anyway, which suggested that humans are so similar that we're all fundamentally the same subspecies with merely cosmetic differences, unlike dogs and wolves etc. Fascinating.)
Also, Europe is arguably more fascinating in that you get to find out about a new manner of doing law, instead of being stuck in a kind of limbo in the States (where I think is the only place that has this problem) where you kinda know the law, but not the way in which the codes edited it and the manner in which it changed due to the codification and the rights issues in between. You won't be horribly lost and you'll know how to read cases, especially with your LAWR foundation; but it can be a bit displacing.
But do come to the USA, primarily if you:
- Don't mind being alone - and you will be unless you meet or make friends. (For the next UW dude, go for FIUTS. It be your lifesaver, I promise)
- Enjoy Socratic discussion
- Want to learn how to live alone, and potentially how to outrun a bullet (which I haven't yet and don't plan to)
- Like the American Way. Whatever it is.
Don't get me wrong, UW is beautiful and Seattle is a nice city, even if the cold does bite a little harder than expected. But unless you don't mind blogging to your juniors while everyone is talking to their friends around you, and spending your evenings with your textbooks, it may not be the place for you.
P.S. If anyone actually knows whether the exchange talk has opened for the Yr 2's, you can direct them to this blog if they want to find out more. :) Not much la, but it's s atart and they can always get in touch with me thereafter.
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