P’ Chanat—A Legendary Top Student with an Industry Mindset 🐳✨
❓ Please introduce yourself.
🐳 My name is Chanat, and my nickname is also Chanat. I’m from the 3rd cohort of Chemistry. I worked on a project with Ajarn Pailin.
❓ How would your lecturer describe you?
🐳 He’s highly capable and self-disciplined. He loves to think and experiment. If you tell him something, he won’t believe it right away—he will search, investigate, and prove it himself. He tries things beyond the plan, makes mistakes, runs experiments at different scales, and once the data is solid, he reports back.
❓ Why did you choose Chemistry at KU Sriracha?
🐳 I chose Chemistry because it’s the subject I’m best at and enjoy the most since high school—and job opportunities are quite good. I chose Kasetsart University, Sriracha Campus because the program has a strong reputation (and honestly, the coursework is intense—in a good way! 😂).
❓ How did you achieve First-Class Honors?
🐳 First, you need a dream and a clear goal. Then you must act and practice. When something is difficult, don’t tell yourself you can’t do it—thinking like that blocks your growth. Instead, see every challenge as an opportunity to improve.
🐳 After setting a goal, you need discipline and consistency. My method was: study in advance before class, and summarize what I learned immediately after class.
❓ Are you naturally smart?
🐳 I’m not good because I’m naturally gifted—I’m here because of effort. And don’t forget to balance your life: exercise, meet friends, and recharge your energy.
❓ With such great grades, why didn’t you continue studying?
🐳 Mainly because of family financial difficulties. When I started university, I dreamed of becoming a university lecturer, and my family supported me. But later, my mother’s business faced serious problems, and I had to adjust my plan. I decided to work as soon as possible after graduation to help my family.
❓ How did you choose your job?
🐳 At first, I focused on salary. The pay was great, but the workload was heavy and the system wasn’t good, so I resigned. Then I tried a job with lower pay and a simpler life—but it wasn’t enough to live on, so I had to find a new job 😂🤣.
It was challenging, especially during the COVID period. It took about two years to find a job that was acceptable in both salary and work system.
❓ Where do you work now?
🐳 I currently work at Nippon Paint, a company producing coatings for cars, motorcycles, and electrical appliances.
My position is Chemist (Technical Department). I solve problems and develop products related to automotive coatings. I use a lot of what I learned—polymers, organic chemistry, and analytical chemistry.
❓ Is working very different from studying?
🐳 Very different. Studying is mental work—memorizing and thinking a lot. Working is physically tiring, especially in a Japanese company. The salary is good, but work–life balance can be tough. There are many projects and problem-solving tasks, so you must prioritize well. And most importantly: keep improving yourself and never ignore your health.
❓ Any advice for juniors?
🐳 Please take your studies seriously—competition is high today.
🐳 Practice English communication, because at work you may need to communicate with foreign supervisors.
🐳 And the most important lesson: work–life balance and health. This isn’t always taught in class, but it matters the most. Take care of both your physical and mental health. ✌️✌️
🐳 Also, social skills and professional etiquette matter. Real work requires coordination across departments and with clients. No matter how talented you are, you can’t work alone—learn teamwork, empathy, sharing, and proper behavior. Remember: you carry your university’s name with you everywhere
