When I first got the invitation to write for an NTU-USP blog, I was told to write about my recent “success” in getting work awarded by the Global Undergraduate Awards. While the process was a mere submission – and some formatting to “deface” my creditors, i.e. my instructor Professor Nick Prior, it didn’t feel much of an achievement for me; I did my best trying to write an essay for a sociology course during my study abroad semester in Edinburgh, and that’s about it. But it may be ungrateful on my side to discount those who made this seemingly small award possible based on my undervaluation of it.

First, it’s needless to say that without NTU-USP, SOH and undoubtedly their support, this couldn’t have been possible. I am a philosophy major. So, it seems odd that it was my work on sociology that got awarded (which also means my work on philosophy needs more work). As such, I have NTU-USP and SOH to thank for (sometimes, painfully) forcing us to take up courses beyond our majors. Furthermore, without the comfort and privilege of the Study Abroad Programme, I wouldn’t have the opportunity or the confidence to venture into courses beyond my “expertise” – I have also taken courses on social anthropology, which one wouldn’t easily find locally.

Next, this blog post made me realise the importance of venturing beyond what we think we’re capable of. It also made me realise that regardless of what we think we’re made for, we could always achieve more than that; that we’re capable of innovation and creativity so long as we try. Going into a course titled “Popular Music, Society, and Technology,” I had (and still have) minimal knowledge of “popular music,” “society”, and “technology.” I think we NTU-USPians often feel this way when we take on any electives. But I think if we’re perceptive and receptive enough to take on new content and challenges, we may find ourselves discovering aspects of ourselves that we thought were closed to us. And I think NTU-USP (and SOH) does a great job guiding us there.

Finally, coming back from an academic hiatus made me realise that we shouldn’t impose a “time limit” to our learning. Two years ago, when the pandemic hit, I was urged by my mentors to persist and finish my degree as soon as possible. I made the tough call to return to my home country and was “locked” there for two years. I was forced to take a break from school. While my learning slowed down then, I never stopped reading and researching the things I find interesting – I’m recently interested in neo-Marxism, money, and sociological issues on labour. I believe those two years contributed to my “achievement” as much as the support I got from my instructors and NTU-USP. I’d like to believe that those two years gave me a more mature (and admittedly more cynical) outlook on life and my work as well.

I’d like to thank NTU-USP, SOH, UOE, and Prof Nick Prior for making all of this possible.

For those interested in my work, click here. It is an essay about how we could understand “virtuality” in the context of popular music. I analyse the tension between the virtual and the real, and the relevant sociological problems created by this tension through the Japanese virtual idol Hatsune Miku.

Submission by:

Ang Wei Xiang Philo, Year 3, PHIL