Master’s Degree

Happy Thanksgiving Month, everybody. I have been quiet about this for over three weeks. This is because I have been busy with my contributions for this year’s Red Ribbon Reviewers Month. However, I am proud to announce that I have officially obtained my Master’s Degree in American Studies at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Therefore, I have finally completed two intense years of next-level study and research in my chosen field of American history, literature, culture, art, music, popular culture, politics, sociology, and sociocultural theory. This was also accompanied by two elective courses in British Studies, which have also jettisoned my passion for studies revolving around popular culture, literature, film, television, music, and art in American and British contexts.   This recent achievement gets better. I have also obtained a final grade of 1,8, which is better than the 2,0 I obtained from my Bachelor’s Degree in English and Musicology. I have graduated at the top 25% of my class. By American standards, I have graduated with an A at the highest, an A- at the middle, and a B+ at the lowest, thus landing me strongly at Cum Laude. By British graduate school standards, I have graduated with 73.4%, thus landing me in Distinction or First-Class Honours. By Australian graduate standards, I graduated with 86, thus landing me in High Distinction. By Singaporean standards, I have graduated with an A- or 4.5 according to the National University of Singapore and a 3.6, an A, or Magna Cum Laude according to the Singapore Management University. By Canadian standards, I have graduated with an A- at the highest and a B+ at the lowest, once again with a strong Cum Laude. By Hong Kong standards, I have graduated with an A- at the highest and B+ or Distinction. By Philippine standards, I have graduated with an A at the highest, an A- at the middle, and a B+ at the lowest or a 1.55, hence a very strong Cum Laude again. Anyway you slice it, I have emerged as a proud A/AB honor student.   My dear family, friends, role models, teachers, colleagues, fans, fellow artists, fellow pundits, and students, thank you all so much for this exciting journey of inspiration and high purpose.