My academic journey at NUS
Jiang Yuxiang [MSc 2026]
My passion for physics began early, rooted in a childhood love for both mathematics and physics. To me, mathematics is a precise language for describing the world, while physics builds the models that explain the world. From the motion of elementary particles to the evolution of the cosmos, physics embraces everything. This vastness continually sparks my curiosity about how the world operates at every scale, and it is precisely this drive to understand how and why that led me to pursue advanced study in physics.
The Department of Physics at NUS offers an impressive breadth of courses across diverse research directions, making it easy to follow one’s interests. But what stayed with me most wasn’t just the established theories from textbooks. It was how our professors wove frontier research into their teaching, showing us questions that remain open and actively debated. There is something uniquely exciting about studying problems that have no definitive answer yet.
Our professors each brought their own style of teaching. Some favoured the blackboard, walking us step by step through derivations from the first principles. Watching a logical argument unfold line by line gave me a sense of grounding that no slide deck could replace. Others used animations to visualise abstract phenomena, turning invisible processes into something tangible and memorable.
When we encountered challenging problems in class, we were encouraged not only to discuss among ourselves but also to experiment with AI tools as part of the exploration process. As an introvert, I often found myself turning to AI for conversation rather than joining large group discussions. While AI did not always give accurate answers, it frequently surfaced unexpected angles that helped me break out of mental ruts. Coupled with timely feedback from professors on our assignments, this iterative loop of trial, feedback and correction gave me growing confidence in my own thinking.
My experience at NUS Physics has given me both a clearer picture of the frontiers in my field as well as the confidence to continue to deepen my research in physics along the directions that most excite me. Whatever lies ahead, I intend to carry forward the curiosity and rigor that NUS has nurtured in me, and to carve my own space in this endlessly fascinating field.
One sentence I kept seeing on the NUS campus shuttle buses has stayed with me: “The best textbook for learning is a passport.” Singapore itself embodies this idea. As a highly inclusive society, it offered me daily opportunities to interact with peers and professors from vastly different cultural backgrounds. Hearing how people from different parts of the world approached the same problem expanded my perspective in ways the curriculum alone could not. As an avid traveller, I also benefited from Singapore’s geographical position. Between coursework, I explored neighbouring countries and regions, observing the world firsthand rather than through pages or screens. These journeys added texture and dimension to my understanding of the world, complementing what I learned in the lecture halls.
My experience at NUS Physics has given me both a clearer picture of the frontiers in my field as well as the confidence to continue to deepen my research in physics along the directions that most excite me. Whatever lies ahead, I intend to carry forward the curiosity and rigor that NUS has nurtured in me, and to carve my own space in this endlessly fascinating field.