WRoCAH Open Competition Studentship recipient: Jonathan Tang
How did you first hear about your scholarship?
When I was applying to Sheffield for my PhD, my then prospective supervisors, Professor Nikki Dibben and Professor Renee Timmers, guided me to the White Rose College of the Arts & Humanities (WRoCAH) Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Open Competition Studentships to support my doctoral studies.
How did you feel when you heard that you were successful in being awarded the scholarship?
It was definitely very exciting to be awarded this scholarship! I was delighted but also relieved and encouraged that I was chosen from a pool of highly qualified applicants.
What made you choose to study at Sheffield and your course?
For my PhD, I was looking for supervisors who could guide me in my research interests, a research environment that was collaborative, and a nice location. Sheffield definitely ticked all those boxes for me - my mentors are superstars in the field, the people in the music department are very collegial, and Sheffield is great city and is close to the beautiful Peak District!
How did you research the University to find out about studying in Sheffield?
I was introduced to the Society for Music Perception and Cognition (SMPC) from Professor Aniruddh Patel from Tufts University. It was through him and SMPC that I found the University of Sheffield. From there, I used Google to read up about the school (and the surrounding areas) and spoke to friends of friends who studied at Sheffield. I also talked with my then prospective supervisors, Professor Nikki Dibben and Professor Renee Timmers, who gave me a sense of what studying at Sheffield was going to be like.
What was your initial impression of Sheffield and the University when you first arrived?
Sheffield did not have the lakes and water bodies that I usually like, but its close proximity to the beautiful Peak District and abundance of green spaces helped to make up for that. What I did not expect was the amount of hills that I have to overcome, almost on a daily basis.
What are your highlights of your experience in Sheffield so far?
My experience of Sheffield has been great! It has almost all the things that a major city has (minus the crowds and people jams), a nice student-friendly vibe, and beautiful parks and spaces to explore. The arts and humanities, as well as music departments offered a variety of opportunities to socialise and connect with other PhD students.
What would you say to a student considering studying at The University of Sheffield?
I think that I made one of the best decisions to study at the University of Sheffield. It ticked all the boxes for me in terms of academic supervisors, research environment (both within the music department and the broader university), and location. The music department has an excellent faculty and a nurturing and supportive research environment. The city of Sheffield is lovely and I am sure you will enjoy the range of activities Sheffield has to offer.