A Look-Back at my PhD

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is one of the premier universities in Asia. Recently in 2016-2017, it was ranked first in Asia by the Quacquarelli Symonds Asian University Rankings and in 2017, NUS was ranked 12th in the world. A research intensive and teaching university, NUS was my alma mater where I was conferred the Bachelor (in 1998) and Master of Engineering degree (in 2002). 

I feel thankful for the training and learning opportunities that the university offered and the many professors, colleagues and friends that I have interacted with, who had entered and enriched my life as a student and researcher.

I stayed on to work as a reseacher for another 8 years in NUS honing my knowledge and skills in experimental aerodynamics. I am glad to say that it was worth it as I was diagnosed with a passion for research . To put it in a fun way, the "prognosis" is not good and it can be a life long passion.

This "syndrome" strikes a small proportion of the population and the "symptoms" surfaces pretty early in your life. As a kid, you may find yourself strangely attracted to reading books and remembering all sorts of facts. Like, which is the longest river or largest continent in the world ?

In your early and late teens, you like to tinker with toys and gadgets and you get immensely curious about the world and how things work. At this moment, you are not concerned about human relations and you do not understand (and don't care) why people get annoyed with you for asking weird questions and being socially inert. Strangely, you are not interested in the other mystery of the universe.... Girls. A larger proportion of peers are introverts.

As you grow older and enter university, some of the "symptoms" may subside in ferocity as you meet more people in your early twenties and you realise the importance of being socially accepted. Most people can self-medicate and recover from this path by dating, falling in and out of love or getting socially active in clubs and sports.

A crucial moment comes in your final year when you get in proximity with your Professor. All Professors are passionate about research and they may pass it to you. 

At the end of five years, you will surrender yourself to this passion by wearing a long gown and a funny looking hat and fellow peers from the University turn up as support groups. You insist other people address you as "Doctor" . A truely joyous occasion !!!

I guess I have to move on with my life after being struck with a PhD (in 2010). . I wish you well......

A Quest For More LIFT

Its been quite a while since I lasted posted on my blog...My original intent was to share my perspective of a journey through life by drawing an analogy to the aerodynamics of aircraft. Guess I will continue where I left off.....

I have wrote about the THRUST force of your life and that it should be an internal, driven force that propels you to achieve your goals. Similarly, an aircraft that is stationary on the tarmac needs a THRUST force to propel it forward and to race down the runway.

 

 

When the aircraft is moving forward at a high speed , a LIFT force is produced by the wings of the aircraft. The aircraft requires a LIFT force to take off from the runway and to soar in the sky. Only when the aircraft has THRUST will there be motion and hence will there be LIFT.

 

Hence no THRUST force ..... no MOTION.....no LIFT force. And there is no FLIGHT.

The aerodynamic LIFT force acting on an aircraft essentially keeps it in flight. This LIFT force can be viewed as the “benefits” derived from the airplane’s motion, and without LIFT force, the airplane simply plunges towards the ground. 

In the same manner, when you push yourself to achieve your dreams and goals, you are in motion and you are propelled by the THRUST force in your life. Driven by passion, confidence and self-belief, the “benefits” that you experience in your journey is the LIFT force of your life. It could be WEALTH, ASSETS, HAPPINESS, JOB SATISFACTION, and FULFILMENT among many others…..

 

For example, if you desire to learn to bake a delicious cake. You WORK towards this goal and after many tries, failures and improvement, you do not give up. The LIFT force is the good experience and knowledge gained in this process. These “benefits” that you derived are internalised within you. However, if you give up and stop, the LIFT force disappears and much like an airplane, your dream plunges and crashes. The ultimate LIFT force comes along upon success. It bring SMILES and HAPPINESS to friends and family when you share your cake.

 

 

The LIFT force keeps you going in your journey and it could be the only reason why you are marching towards your life goals. Let’s keep moving and gain the benefits from life…..