Nationality: Singapore
Faculty & Year of Study: Faculty of Science, Year 1
Undergraduate: National University of Singapore, Singapore
"Expect the unexpected-nothing can be predicted in a PhD journey. Never give up because the feeling of finally succeeding in achieving what you set out for, that is incomparable. Even more so when you're following your passion!"
Why Did You Choose To Pursue A PhD?
I was determined to do a PhD because I really enjoyed my academic journey in undergraduate (I did a double degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Physics) and felt like I had not learnt enough about physics! There was so much more to discover and I knew I would definitely regret it in the future if I did not take this leap of faith. Essentially, my passion for physics led me to this decision! I had no idea what lay in store for me in my PhD journey but so far I am definitely loving it.
Why Did You Choose To Pursue Your PhD At NUS?
PhD in NUS was both part of chasing an ideal but also a practical decision for me. As a Singaporean, I am interested in not just research but also quality education in Singapore. I wanted to be part of the team teaching future generations, be it in university or high school. It is crucial to have good teachers in developing love for a subject and attitude towards learning. I felt like staying in NUS (and Singapore) will aid in me working towards this goal. While NUS is deemed to be world class, there are always ways to improve. I am fortunate to work under a professor who shares this belief–that being exceptional in research is not enough for an academic, we need to be adept at imparting knowledge too. Of course I chose this because of research too, but that I have already talked about above.
Why, specifically in NUS, is also because I met many professors in NUS physics department during my undergraduate years who were not just mentors but also inspirations. I really appreciate the professors who believed in me even when I did not, thus it was an easy decision to continue PhD in physics department.
The practical part of doing a PhD in Singapore is that we get paid (quite well) to study which many people may be concerned about, especially when parents start asking us to work after we graduate.
Can you tell us briefly about your research topic?
I am working on theoretical and computational physics in relation to strongly correlated systems, in Center for Quantum Technologies. It is a completely different field from what I worked in during my undergraduate years but I was very lucky to have been given this chance to start from scratch. The learning curve is steep but very rewarding and I am enjoying throwing challenges at myself everyday!
Essentially our research is a combination of pen-and-paper calculations with verification from numerical simulations. We study fermionic and bosonic systems with different interactions on various lattices, some of which give really fun properties like superconductivity and superfluidity!
Flat band systems are interesting as well, and it has been widely studied following the discovery of superconductivity in twisted bilayer graphene (although my research has nothing to do with that).
How does PhD graduate education compare with your undergraduate experience?
PhD definitely demands a whole lot more self-discipline than undergraduate so the hard truth is, it’s not for everyone. In undergraduate, deadlines are set for us and we are, in some sense, forced to learn. In PhD, you have to love what you’re doing, wake up feeling excited to continue your research and find your own perseverance to push through when nothing is working. You will not be allowed to forget the content of a module once you finish it (I know we do that in undergraduate) because all the knowledge is required and it builds up to becoming a semi-professional in your field! You will also be expected to teach during your PhD years which is great, as teaching is the best form of learning.
One stark difference is that in undergraduate, you know that there is an answer to problems you are working on, however in PhD research, you are likely to end up with false positives, dead ends and going in circles. It really trains resilience though.
What challenges have you faced during your stint as a PhD student?
COVID-19 🙁 I had to turn to online classes and find methods to teach effectively online.
Can you tell us something fun about your PhD journey in NUS?
Graduate studies is definitely fun if you remember to have work-life balance! It is unhealthy (but prevalent) to think that you must work work work during PhD but we are all humans and we need to rest then give our 100% when we work. I really enjoy having coffee with my professor before or after our discussions about research and hearing his words of wisdom, so everyday is fun for me!
Any advice for someone who's considering a PhD in NUS?
Expect the unexpected-nothing can be predicted in a PhD journey. Never give up because the feeling of finally succeeding in achieving what you set out for, that is incomparable. Even more so when you’re following your passion!