Stanford University’s EPGY Singapore Summer Institute
by Ho Lit Xian (3H1'08)

Between 29 June and 18 July 2008, I participated in a three-week residential camp organized by the Stanford University’s Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). In 2008, Stanford University held four Summer Institutes in Beijing, Istanbul, Singapore and at the Stanford University Campus itself.

Besides participants from Singapore, I met high school students from many parts of the world: America, India, China, South Korea, Indonesia, and even Bangladesh. The residential program, with its three-week long package of learning and playing gave me the golden chance to forge long-lasting bonds with peers from all over the world.

Being a student in Singapore, interacting with students originating from various cultures gave me a golden chance to understand their cultures and how they respond to their new Singaporean cultural environment. Just through having meals with fellow participants, I gained an insight into different cultures’ ability to adapt to a new culture. Besides all the fun we had together, activities that we did and memories that we shared, I was able to gain a better understanding of various cultures through living with people from different countries and backgrounds.

The three weeks at the program were definitely filled with fun, interaction and learning.

We had fieldtrips to museums as well as tourist attractions during the weekends. Bonds were formed and strengthened as we visited new places and shared novel experiences. During the nights, after a long day of learning, we sit together to play games, or go out for supper. Discipline was strictly maintained, and yet we never failed to have fun while working with rules. Through the three months of interaction, we played games together, surf the net together, partied together, ate together and studied together. When we separated on the last day, it was as though we had been friends for a long time. In just three weeks, we have forged friendships that would last a lifetime.

The academic part was never compromised despite the fact that we had the fun of our lives at the program. I joined an economics class conducted by a professor from Stanford University, and studied through a college system. We even had Stanford graduates to guide us through our learning as counselors; and through them I learnt a great deal about Stanford University’s style of student leading. Moreover, we had enriching sessions after class whereby we learnt about Wushu, Food Craving, Taichi, Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese traditional dance and even lion dancing.

Being part of this program was immensely beneficial to me in almost all aspects of my student life. The borders of my social circle had been widened to the world’s boundaries. I learnt a great deal about American college education, American student-leading and various cultures around the world, not to mention knowledge about economics. Being a school councilor, I appreciated the fact that the three weeks program was a logistical challenge, if not a nightmare. However, everything was organized seamlessly and a very high level of transparency and flexibility was observed. That the Sentosa trip was decided days before and yet it was planned to the details proved the near-perfect organization and execution of the program.

With the school administration and teachers’ assistance and kind understandings, I managed to enjoy the program to its fullest, without having to worry about my schoolwork. It was indeed an eye-opening experience for me, and the three weeks spent at the program taught me valuable lessons and equipped me with useful skills for my future.