or more accurately University Life: UPM/UM vs Lehigh.

A friend of mine wanted to know what’s university life like here in the US compared to Malaysia. I can’t really do a direct comparison, too many variables exist. It’s harder to compare life now to UPM days, UM days a little easier to make some direct comparison but generally UM days were quite boring. So I’ll take a shot at it, here are some differences:

==Addressing the professors==

US: Many students address professors by the professors’ first names. I tried it once but it was so absolutely unsettling, so it’s still Dr so-and-so. I may refer to the prof by his/her first name when I’m talking to another student but never directly to the prof.

Msia: I never even thought of addressing a prof by his/her first name…ever! Hmmm, no I’m wrong, I did address them by their first names but only with the Dr or Prof in front of it.

==Food in the classrooms==

US: Students at Lehigh are allowed to eat during class: Salads, soup, soda, chips, etc. I’ve sat beside another student who brought her fruit salad tray and I could smell the sweet scent of peaches and that can be rather distracting. Sometimes at the beginning of class, I’ll hear soda cans being opened all around the class. And during class, occasionally I’ll hear chips being munched and sometimes it’s me doing the munching. Once there was a food cart selling the items mentioned above during the break in between the 3 hour class, and after the break in the classroom, most students will be eating their soup or sandwiches while attending to the lecture. And many times, at the end of the semester, the professors will order pizzas and sodas for the whole class.

Msia: I don’t remember ever eating openly in the lecture halls at UPM or UM. And I don’t think I was allowed to.

==General dress code==

US: When I first arrived at Lehigh, I was quite surprised to see students wearing shorts and slippers to class. However, it may just be a Lehigh thing.

Msia: I remember my UPM roommate was barred from entering the UPM HEP building because her skirt was deemed too short by the security person

==Commencement/convocation==

US: There’s no official dress code during the commencement ceremony. So students are in shorts and slippers underneath their graduation gowns. The commencement is held in the open-air football stadium and anyone can come and go as they please, no invitation cards needed. There’s noone selling bouquets of flowers outside the stadium. There’s no “Pesta Konvo.”

Msia: Convocation is a very formal event. But I think the festival atmosphere during convocation at UPM was quite fun. But then UPM had, I don’t know, over 25,000 students, while Lehigh only has about 6000 students.

==Library rules==

US: I’ve seen students jumping on the sofa in the library. Noone will catch you for sleeping in the library (unlike in UPM). Generally it’s slightly more relax and casual. Librarians and library staff are more friendly and helpful here.

Msia: Definitely more sterile library atmosphere. More policing, no sleeping.

==Students weight gain/loss==

US: Generally undergraduate students here gain weight due to the rich dining hall food during their first year in the university.

Msia: I would say most first year students lose weight due to the Maggi Mee, and not so great dining hall food. Plus all the walking and biking.

==Hanging out==

US: Thursday to Saturday nights are big hang out nights. I hear kids walking pass my apartment drunk at 1-2-3am. The campus newspaper always reports the names of students who were cited for underage drinking. On average, I think, at least 5 names will appear during each issue. Should I mention that Lehigh was rated the 3rd top party school in the US two years ago?

Msia: Mamakstalls reign supreme.

==Grading==

US: I’m not sure if it’s only my experience but I find the grading here is so lenient. Once a Malaysian professor here invited the Msian students over for lunch and when I mentioned that it’s easier to get As at Lehigh, they looked at me like I must be crazy and just brushed off my comment..hmmpphh! Hey! Among that group, I’m the only one who has been through a local Msian university, and not just one but two universities, and for a total of 6 years, so I know what I’m talking about.

Msia: I got so many Bs at UM, I began to wonder if special ed was really for me. And at UPM, it was work, work, work to keep a good CGPA.