My undergraduate journey was far from typical, start to end. I embarked on it in August 2015, enrolling in a double degree programme that I did not graduate from. One year later in 2016, I decided that I loved physics more thus I switched to a double degree in Physics and Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). While physics was not my home department, my heart always belonged here (shh, don’t tell the MSE department).

 I graduated in December 2019, a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Singapore. You could say that our batch of graduates were thrown into the deep end, leaving most of us in shock and rendering us helpless. Plans that were previously made were foiled and job searches were fruitless. I counted myself lucky enough to be able to follow my heart and start on a PhD course in the Department of Physics. Having gone through two busy semesters of it, I can say that I am still enjoying every moment and not getting a “permanent head damage” yet!

 I would like to encourage my fellow classmates to stay optimistic. Going forward ten years, not many can claim like us, that we have managed to work through these unprecedented challenges as a fresh graduate and move on. This crisis may indeed help to shape us into stronger, more resilient and adaptable people.

 I have taken this opportunity (while being cooped up at home) to learn new things, outside of research, like teaching myself to play a cello and taking up online modules. A physics education has taught me to never stagnate, always aim to learn new skills and knowledge, as there are always endless things to discover.

I guess I am fortunate to be doing something I like during this difficult time, and I wish the same for everyone else. I am forever grateful to many of my amazing professors from the Department of Physics who have had so much more faith in me than I had in myself, and the opportunities that were given to me. I hope that we can continue to uphold the standards in the department and push for a quality education that the future generations deserve. Never be afraid to venture away from your comfort zone and broaden your horizon, for that is what we are equipped to do.