Looking forward to Singapore

Before I started work, I have submitted an application for PhD at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. All I can do now is wait and pray that my application be successful. To kill the time, I'm now working as sales assistant at Viewnet Hyperstore inside Low Yat Plaza.

I was offered to see a lab head in Monash Malaysia but declined it. Instead, I went to Singapore to enquire about a project in animal cell biology. The lab head's research interest lie in membrane trafficking and primary cilium.

Praise be to God, the interview went well. Seeing the lab head in Nanyang was an eye opening experience. He introduced me to a paradigm not taught in my class - that all events in a cell does not involve only proteins but most importantly, it must be placed in a spatial context (where, which organelle) which the event occurs.

Nanyang Technological University was a change from Melbourne University I had been attending. Architecture of the buildings speaks of a young university that takes an innovative approach to knowledge seeking. My prospective supervisor's lab was also a departure from the open lab I had in Walter & Eliza Hall. Nanyang may not rank as high as her NUS counterpart but I'm rest assured that quality is there.

After supervisor acceptance, it's time to formally lodge an application. Before this, I had been reluctant to take an additional test - the Graduate Record Examination - the test preparation book was bought in January 2013. In order to gain admission to Nanyang, there was no other way - I sat for the examination in October.

Another important part of my application was to come up with a research proposal worthy for doctoral study. The amount of readings required was unpredictable but I'm glad that I've started reading early before I sat for examination - a smart move indeed. No one is telling me what should be done, but I had to decide what needs to be done to close the knowledge gap.

Now that I have submitted my application, my fingers are crossed. And, pray to God for His favour in my application.