Going the distance: Two young Malaysians share their Ivy League journeys

Autonomy, too, reshaped his perspective. From managing attendance (“What was really weird was that I can sometimes skip class—to my parents’ disquiet”) to collaborative problem-solving, Harvard’s ethos demanded self-reliance. “You learn to ask for help,” he notes, “but also to trust your instincts.” He adds that the homeworks can be challenging, and sometimes impossible (within a reasonable amount of time) without hints from professors, teaching assistants or friends. 

“You can also meet worldfamous professors who are the leading experts in their field. You might learn in class about the theories that they came up with and use the textbook they wrote for the class. Meeting and interacting with Bill Gates, a Harvard alumnus, was a fascinating experience, which, again, was very inspirational and showed that we can all achieve our dreams! There are many more successful Harvard alumni whom I’ve met, who are also very supportive and inspiring,” he adds.

Beyond academics, traditions like Housing Day—a raucous ritual where freshmen are “stormed” by upperclassmen assigning dormitories—blended whimsy with belonging. “Living in a historical dorm with other people, having a roommate. I think I’m pretty lucky with the people that are in my dorm, and they make things pretty lively.  Being able to go to Annenberg Hall, a dining hall exclusive to first-year freshmen, and have an intellectual conversation about anything or even have a snowball fight at Harvard Yard are the highlights for me,” Lim adds.

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At Yale, Tang discovered a different rhythm. “The workload has been very demanding—I spend a large majority of my time every day working on assignments from various problem sets and lab reports to readings and essays, which can be pretty gruelling and overwhelming,” he concedes. Yet support systems, from teaching assistants to interdisciplinary forums, softened the edges.  “I was quite surprised by the amount of resources that are offered here to support us and help us succeed, with a notable one being how each class has several Teaching Assistants that host multiple office hours throughout the week to assist us with assignments and any queries we may have,” Tang adds.

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Yale’s liberal arts model, encouraging majors as disparate as computer science and Renaissance poetry, ignited his curiosity. “Students are encouraged to explore a broad range of subjects, and it’s common for people to major with minors, or even double major, in fields that are either interconnected or vastly different. In contrast, the curriculum in Malaysia tends to focus on early specialisation, with students often committing to a set academic path from early on,” Tang says. 

The residential college system, with its mix of suitemates and impromptu dining hall debates, fostered unexpected bonds. “I currently live in a suite with three other Americans, none of whom I knew before coming to Yale, but have since become some of my closest friends here. I also really like the dining hall system where I’m able to eat at any of the dining halls across the residential colleges, making it extremely convenient and easy to eat with friends from not only my college but all the others as well,” Tang says about his favourite part being at Yale.  

Another highlight? The Harvard-Yale football rivalry. “One tradition that has been a highlight so far has been the Harvard-Yale football game (also called “The Game”). This year, it was hosted at Harvard, so I was able to travel down to Cambridge, Massachusetts with my Yale friends and watch The Game live in the Harvard Stadium. It was truly an incredible experience—especially with Yale winning!—and it was also great to be able to catch up with some of my Malaysian friends studying at Harvard as well,” he says. 

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As Housing Day looms for Lim and Tang to plan their next interdisciplinary seminar, both reflect on their journeys with gratitude. “Yes, it was a bit daunting to be in the company of so many brilliant students in Harvard who are world-class achievers in one field or another, from all over the world. It certainly motivated me to work hard, and then I realised, “Hey, I could get the same grades and do that too!”. So, I would say it’s been a very positive influence for me,” Lim says. 

Tang echoes this sentiment: “Being surrounded by so many high-achieving and driven peers has inspired and motivated me to work even harder towards my goals, from pushing me to explore new academic paths outside my comfort zone to applying for various pre-professional clubs and joining career-related events that I wouldn’t have considered before.”

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