In the United States, young people often strive to show their differences from classmates by their clothes, music and hobbies.
Here, there is a completely different attitude.
At the National University of Singapore, students strive to own the latest from America and Europe, in part because classmates wear brand names.
Students at NUS foten can be found in study groups, and they collaborate easily on many of their assignments and projects.
It does not surprise me that Singapore has succeeded in building a uified society because, at an early age, Singaporeans are taught to work with their peers, to seek consensus, and to learn from others.
Another difference is in work ethics.
Singaporean students have an almost superhuman desire to work and study.
One of the first words I learnt here was kiasu (afraid to lose out to someone). It is hard to believe, but all the kiasu stories I heard about NUS students seem to be true.
it is true that students will rarely allow others to borrow notes, or photocopy class materials. It is true students will study not only on weekdays but weekends and during holidays too, to be better than their classmates.
The kiasu mentality applies not only to university studies; it also affects the way Singaporeans present themselves.
I learnt a new term here called "branded" clothes, which means any attire that has a neat little logo emblazoned on the front of jeans, blouse, handbag, wallet, shirt and hats.
Every student at NUS wants to be the best-dressed male or female on campus. In America, most kids wear very casual clothes to class.
I, for example, usually wear a T-shirt and shorts to class. My T-shirts are not branded, but usually have a simple logo on it from a store in Hawaii. On campus, I stand out because my dress is inferior to those of my classmates.
There are also tremendous differences between the social habits of Americans and Singaporeans.
Take dating, for example. Young Singaporeans date much more openly and show more affection towards their girlfriends and boyfriends than do students at American universities.
When a boy and a girl date at the university, the couple seeks a relationship that has the possibility of leading to marriage.
Singaporeans regard those who have a habit of short-term dating as being "loose", whereas in the US, the average male will have dated about 10-15 women before he chooses a spouse.
I believe Singaporean women are not overly concerned with looks when it comes to choosing a boyfriend. Important to a Singaporean college woman is that she finds someone who represents an anchor of stability, who seems to have a bright future, comes from a respectable family, and would be acceptable to her parents.
In the US, looks and personality carry much more weight than status or family background when it comes to dating.
But beyond how Singaporeans study, socialise and dress, how else do they compare with their American counterparts?
Perhaps the greatest similarity between American youth and Singaporean youth is that our generations are the first to never experience the horrors of war, the misery of poverty and depression, or the hardships of racial bigotry.
Singaporeans at NUS are too young to remember the filthy, crime-ridden Singapore of old.
They cannot identify with the struggles of Mr Lee Kuan Yew fighting to become independent of London, and then fighting to stay in the Malayan Federation. They have no first-hand knowledge of the race riots of the '60s, nor do they remember the very real threat of communist insurgencies.
On the other hand, they are expected to continue the remarkable growth of Singapore once their studies and training are over. They are expected to have th same drive for success and the same entrepreneurial spirit of their parents.
The same thing has happened to my generation in America. My generation has grown up in such affluence, in an era of such relative peace and stability, that we have no incentive to be risk-takers or to prepare for the day when things will not be as affluent.
We do not save enough because we assume our nation will always take care of us. We do not work hard enough because jobs are plentiful in established companies. We do not sacrifice enough because we have never been forced to.
Singaporean youths are falling into this same ignominious trap of becoming victims of their nation's prosperity. I cannot tell you how to prevent this, but I do know when it is happening.
American youths and Singaporean youths share another characteristics.
Neither my generation nor the current Singaporean generation expects to enjoy a higher standard of living than their parents.
In America, you once could have just a father working to support a spouse and two children. Today, to enjoy that standard of living, two parents often work, and they are working longer hours than ever before to keep up with the rising costs of housing, education, medical care and food.
The global market place has had a humbling effect on America, and people in my generation realise that we will have to go to school longer and work harder than our parents to achieve their standard of living.
Here in Singapore, I have talked to many students who remark that they do not expect to ever own a car, and most know they will never have the chance of owning their detached or semi-detached home.
They wonder what will happen when other Southeast Asian nations catch up with Singapore. Will the jobs be as plentiful then? Will wages keep up with the rising cost of living?
Your young people have taught me much about both the strengths and the weaknesses of Singapore.
They work harder than most of my American school friends and they are far better prepared for the rigours of academic life when they graduate from the junior colleges than Americans are after high school.
Singaporeans are focused and will sacrifice almost anything -- be it time, money or leisure -- to achieve their academic goals.
This trait will guarantee that your nation will continue to be successful.
The friendships I have made in the university have taught me that many of the same fears, anxieties and hopes that people my age hold in America are shared by young people here.
We are more alike than dissimilar, and that gives me hope that our nations will always be strong allies.