Whenever I mention that I did my exchange studies at the University of Tulsa (TU), Oklahoma, most people will give me that frown of disapproval and ask me why did I go to Oklahoma. Despite all the crazy tornadoes and redneck jokes, I truly enjoyed my time at University of Tulsa.

I lived in a really nice university apartment on campus, as all exchange students have to stay in accommodation provided by the university. Being a private school in America, TU has great facilities to serve the relatively smaller student population. TU serves a large percentage of international students, so living on Campus made me feel as if I was living at an international town.

I spent most of my time in the gym, playing basketball with the other students, and attending all the sports events. TU’s sports teams participate in NCAA Division I as a member of the American Athletic Conference, hence the competition level there is even higher than our Southeast Asia games. That was also one of the reasons why I chose TU for my exchange studies. As a student athlete and sports fan, I was pampered during the four months stay in TU with its easily accessible sports facilities and eye-opening sports events, which are what the Singapore universities lack off.

TU students are also different from students at my home university; Singapore Management University(SMU). TU students, in term of academic, are not competitive as SMU students. So, I was thankful that I did my exchange in TU and somewhat took a break from the stressful SMU environment.

I solo travelled for a month in USA after my exams and made many friends along the way. After that whole experience, I had a better understanding of the country, the people and the culture. The memory and experience I had over these five months are something that I will never forget.

Jhohan, from Singapore Management University, previously on exchange at University of Tulsa.

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