Republic Polytechnic, for all the criticism that they got for being the 'baby' of all polytechnics, really deserves some credit at least architecture-wise.

I was there for Poly Forum 2006, which I have no idea whatsoever why I'm so keen to participate in this year, the whole of yesterday and today. Trust me, being a baby has its advantages. You are new, fresh and basically.... a virgin. So you become the darling of architects who are ever so willing to take up the challenge of designing the best polytechnic ever.

A point to be pondered upon for my fellow SP friends- Do you feel like you're feeling cramped within the campus? It's like buildings everywhere (and yes they are still trying to maximise the space available by yet building another CLS block) and you feel as if you're in a concrete jungle within a concrete jungle.

Look no further than FC3 if you aren't convinced. OMG. It's like every architect's nightmare, whatmore it being a student's dream food haven. FAT HOPE. Low ceilings, minimal ventilation and natural lighting-if you wanna experience how it's like being in a can of sardines, go to FC3 during lunch hours.

But in RP? Hell no you can't find this kind of situation. There's an abundance of open space everywhere! And i mean EVERYWHERE! Like my friend say, "If you are stressed, you can just come out of your classroom and look at the scenery."

Yes, that's RP for you man.

And the food court, albeit it being the only functional one thus far, has this big pool beside it that gives you this calming feeling when you chatter with your friends while you tuck into your meal. Gosh... and I haven't mention that the natural breeze there is magnificent right? But of course all these is after taking out the havoc that students would make.

The classroom is really damn conducive. Five students sitting around a table, all within close proximity with each other. You can really see everyone in class, if not from your seat, from your swivel chair. Unlike SP, where it's still row by row kinda shit. So typical of a classroom!

And if had not known yet, RP adopts a Problem-based Learning methodology. Well whatever it is, I got to know that they also have NO EXAMS AT ALL!!! But through this method, my groupmate from RP says, it exposes them more to the working world 'cause there's much more backstabbing occuring. People can just slack and yet get the credit 'cause of their other group members' work and effort. Urgh freeloaders...

But one thing about RP is that it really is a virgin, literally. Its walls are white, doors are white, everything is almost white in colour! So much so that I couldn't differentiate between a door and a wall. (Sheesh, I nearly peed in my jeans. I took a lil bit longer to find the gents 'cause of the camouflaging doors.)

That RP groupmate of mine also complained about feeling very stressed inside the classroom after a while cause of the white walls and ceiling. After experiencing it myself, I guess she's not wrong at all!

RP is big can? SP is not big, it is L.O.N.G. 3 bus-stops long if you are not a word-kinda person. And because of that I rarely go to FC1, supposedly SP's only open-air food court, which is like at the other end of the poly. And what scenery do we have? Well, if you consider SB girls as scenery then I wouldn't complain at all, right? =)

The best thing about RP? It doesn't give you the feeling that you are not in school. There's no gates surrounding the compound, mind you. I don't know about security reasons and I don't wanna know. Contrary to Poly Forum's of raising awareness among youths about the current issues, I prefer to remain ignorant about it here.

Well, Poly Forum was held in Malaysia last year. This year it'll be at Downtown East. Call it pathetic but I guess it's the experience that counts. Already I have an Indian guy in my group that cracks racist jokes, ironically most of which concerns of his own race. Good golly gosh!

And my group's facilitator, Tigor, has this theory that the jail is like an institution 'cause he has friends who go in there as drug addicts, only for them to come out and be drug traffickers and suppliers. Why? 'cause they mix around with even more drug offenders while serving their jail term and thus create more contacts!

At the end of their 3 year term, something like fulfilling a polytechnic education, they will go out to the real world and armed with their added knowledge, something like a diploma, they then go on and create even more havoc!

And in they go into the 'institution' once more and who knows after 5 years, they will finally obtain a 'degree'? *shurgs shoulders* =p