On 14 September 1994, I became a NUS Research Scholar to do a Master of Arts degree in English Literature. It was, admittedly, a rather daunting initiation into graduate education because I faced the prospect of two years of independent study, at the end of which I was to produce a 40,000-word dissertation. I was excited at the prospect of fleshing out my sketchy thesis proposal into a critical study that would leave its mark (albeit small) in the world of academia. But I knew I would miss the camaraderie shared with my counterparts during our Honours year, that gave us the licence to lull into collective ignorance, embrace unorthodox revision strategies, embark on fantastical improvisations and resort to whinny excuses when reproached for being tardy. I realised that for the first time in my academic life, I was going to be on my own.

I was, however, pleasantly surprised to find that there were quite a number of postgraduate research scholars in the English Department. Although we had no formal classes together, we interacted quite enthusiastically whenever we met. Most of us were from different batches, and we were all at various stages of our graduate education. What drew us together was our common interest in books, the performing arts, movies, poetry, and anything literary. The informal discussions about our research also proved insightful and valuable. We attended all department seminars and presented parts of our thesis at postgraduate workshops—an enriching experience that could have been carried out more frequently. While some students prefer to be left alone to do their research, I think most will appreciate a certain amount of academic bonding that can exercise their mental faculties, provide some critical feedback and prevent their degeneration into a state of inertia. Perhaps a regular programme can be designed for research scholars, that requires them to participate in a seminar or workshop once a week, so that they can maintain the rigorous academic interaction they are used to in their undergraduate days.

My postgraduate experience was greatly enhanced by my supervisor who patiently guided me through every stage of my thesis in the course of the two years. She managed successfully to maintain the intricate balance between giving me time and space to do my research and writing, and monitoring my progress regularly. I feel that this is extremely important for research scholars as we have a time frame within which we have to complete our thesis. Giving postgraduate students too much independence can sometimes have its adverse repercussions, resulting in incomplete dissertations, extended deadlines, and rushed, last minute work that sacrifices on quality.

Although the current postgraduate programme at NUS is quite effective, I feel that it can be improved in two areas. Firstly, research scholars could be given the opportunity to interact with other graduate students from overseas universities and perhaps participate in short exchange programmes abroad, in the form of workshops or research presentations. This will increase the credibility of the postgraduate programme, give the students a broader perspective and foster better ties between postgraduate students from various universities. Secondly, I feel that MA students could be given the option to take a viva, if needed, in order to defend their thesis. A verbal defence can benefit both the students and the examiners because it gives students an opportunity to answer questions about their thesis and defend their findings, while giving examiners an added insight into the credibility of the researchers and their thesis.

On a more personal note, I have definitely benefited from the graduate experience I had at NUS. I am now a full-time teacher at Nanyang Girls High, teaching English Literature, English Language and Speech Training. My graduate experience taught me the value of discipline and time management because I had to seek motivation from within myself to complete my dissertation, revise it, edit it and prepare it for submission within the two-year period. The research component also honed my critical thinking abilities and made me an independent learner. I find these qualities especially useful in the teaching profession because I am able to encourage my students to think critically and become independent learners—qualities that are increasingly being valued in the young. My graduate experience also fuelled my passion for Literature, convinced me that I would be most happy in a teaching environment and encouraged me to constantly improve myself, with respect to both knowledge and skills. In essence, my postgraduate degree has given me an upper hand in my job, enhanced my work ethics and prepared me to face challenges and uncertainty in the future. It is an accomplishment and an experience that I will always look back on with pride and satisfaction.