Timothy Loh

SFS ’15
Age: 22
Hometown: Singapore
Major: Culture and Politics

How has your experience at Georgetown differed from what you originally expected?
I think I didn’t expect the extent to which I would experience culture shock. I was prepared for it, but Singapore’s kind of very Western, so I didn’t think that the culture shock I would experience would be so drastic. It was really hard, at first, coming to school.

What is it like living so far from home?
It can definitely be hard at times. It’s not just that I come from Singapore — it’s that the rest of my family is still there. It’s where I grew up. My friends are there. My roots are there. It’s definitely hard at times, but I definitely appreciate the kind of experiences I’ve had here that really broaden my perspective.

Do you think you want to return to Singapore after graduation?
I think it depends. I would say, right now, if I could get a job in the U.S., I would prefer to stay here, at least to work, for the next few years, but I think, ultimately, I’d like to go home.

Prior to coming to Georgetown, you served in the Singaporean army. What was that like?
Like everything else, it has highs and lows. I think it definitely made a more independent person. Also, because every single guy in Singapore has to do military service, it kind of forced me to interact with people from other socioeconomic classes that I might not have been able to interact with otherwise. I learned a lot from them as well, so I really appreciated those kind of perspectives that I learned. At the same time, it was hard, physically, especially for me, and also sometimes, it does feel like a waste of two years — I mean, I’m 22, and I’m still in college.

Compare and Contrast Singapore with Georgetown.
I think I would definitely say that in the U.S., people tend to be friendlier, but it doesn’t mean they want to be friends. It was something I really had to get used to when I came here, and I guess that was a big part of the culture shock experience.

What would you change about yourself if you could?
I wish I were better at meeting people. I do have quite a lot of good friends at Georgetown, but I think it’s always making that initial contact with people that’s really, really difficult for me. I wish I were braver to step out of my comfort zone and talk to people and get to know people.

What do you hope Georgetown helps you accomplish in your life?
I’m definitely hoping to life-long friendships at Georgetown. I think there’s this idea that college is the place here you meet your best friends, and I guess I’m hoping for that to be true. Also, I hope that Georgetown will prepare me adequately for whatever is ahead, whether it is the kind of social skills needed to navigate the professional world or the professional skills you need to do whatever it is you want to do in the future.

What is the most frustrating thing at Georgetown for you?
I think being involved in the Deaf community has allowed me to see that students with disabilities still face a lot of administrative barriers. I think Georgetown is doing a lot to change that, but it still has a long way to go in terms of accommodating students with disabilities. I’m not disabled myself, but I think it’s given me greater sensitivity to these issues.

What is your greatest fear?
Wasting my life. I want to make an impact on the world.

What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
Leaving my family in Singapore and coming to Georgetown to study. In many ways, I think it was a rite of passage. I didn’t have to study overseas, but I chose to. I wanted that other perspective, and I wanted all the things that I talked about before about coming to Georgetown. I had all these different reasons for coming to Georgetown, but I really felt that I was leaving, not everything I knew, but basically, I was leaving my comfort zone and going somewhere I was a lot less comfortable. That being said, I’d like to thank my friends for making that process easier than it would’ve been if I had to go it alone.

Interview by Penny Hung