Hello everyone, I am a second-year physics student at Xiamen University Malaysia Campus. My name is Yong Jing Tian, and I am from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Xiamen University Malaysia is a campus with beautiful scenery, and what brought me to this university was a subject that seems to encompass everything, yet is also mysterious – physics. As one of the few higher education institutions in Malaysia that offers a pure theoretical physics program, Xiamen University Malaysia naturally became my first choice.
The physics department at Xiamen University Malaysia Campus provides quality education for students who love physics, paving the way for those who dream of pursuing physics. So far, in the past two academic years, the physics department at Xiamen University Malaysia has provided us with a series of professional teaching courses in mathematics and physics. For example, in these two years, I have learned about classical mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics. Mathematics is the queen of physics, and in the courses provided by Xiamen University Malaysia, I have gained more knowledge in calculus, linear algebra, probability theory, ordinary differential equations, partial differential equations, and complex analysis. The professional teaching of the professors also ensures the correctness of the knowledge we acquire. In addition, our department’s courses also cover various software and programming languages commonly used in physical and mathematical research, such as the Python programming language, Matlab software, Wolfram Mathematica software, and Comsol Multiphysics software, and we have learned how to use LaTeX to write professional academic papers that meet the standards. Moreover, students are also welcome by the professors to sit in their lectures.
Here, in addition to the professional courses offered by the physics department, we can also choose various interesting elective courses. In the previous short semester, I took an elective course called “Invisible Science,” where I learned a lot about optics and complex analysis, and learned how to use the geometric structure of metamaterials to achieve invisibility in the electromagnetic wave domain. Xiamen University Malaysia also provides a series of platforms for students who want to learn more independently, such as academic lectures. During the short semester, our physics student association organized a 5-week lecture series covering quantum mechanics and some group theory. In addition, I have also met many seniors who love physics, and they have been generous in guiding and helping me, resolving my doubts, and pointing me in the right direction for research. Although the physics department of this university has not been established for a long time, I have seen the academic atmosphere that I imagined for doing research here, where everyone works together towards the common goal of advancing physics.
I enjoy the process of studying in the physics department at Xiamen University Malaysia Campus. This university contributes to my dream, and through this university, I have had the opportunity to connect with the wider world. In late July 2023, I participated in a visit and anxiety trip to the physics department of the National University of Singapore, which opened up a new world for me. Reading countless books, the meaning becomes apparent. Traveling thousands of miles, one understands the principles of the world. My past, present, and future journey in Xiamen have all adorned my brilliant dream. Here, I realize the greater world, and I see many people, many people who are on the path of pursuing physics, which has cleared the dust from my heart, the loneliness of being surrounded by people who do not understand why I chose to study physics. Here, I have found a sense of belonging.