Haha... just read this post by my church mate about JC vs. Poly.
Just wanted to have some fun by doing a diplomatic rebuttal.
"jules just talked to a total moron, who apparently thinks
that JC is superior in both content and demand to poly, and
that poly is slack.
well, the sad thing is, (besides the fact that he is a moron),
many JC students think that way.
Poly VS JC. the great debate."
I definitely agree with this point. It's unfair to say that JC is superior in content. There are so many faculties in polys as compared to 2 in JCs (Arts and Science)?
I'm a JC student. I don't think that way. haha...
"Poly beats JC hands down, in virtually every aspect, bar local (and i stress,
LOCAL) university admission."
Considering the fact that the writer was peeved with someone making an unbalanced statement about JCs being better than Poly, I think it is quite contradictory that the writer is actually rebutting the statement by just turning it around.
"Content wise, polytechnics definitely have a more
agile and adaptive curriculum, as compared to JCs,
reason being that the poly's are closely connected to
the industry, versus an antiquated "A" level system by
the Cambridge syndicate."
Very true indeed. And I definitely agree with this.
"This means that the content in polytechnics are definitely
more up to date and relevant then the bunch of stuff they
shove in your head in JC. Think of it this way. Knowledge
is NOTHING without application. And no, as biased
as you are towards the JC system, you cannot disagree from the
fact that JC's rarely lean towards application."
I think it's unfair to use application as a measure of knowledge. And moreover, application in what sense? The technical and hands-on sense? If so, then it's actually inapplicable for some subjects that people take. For example, Math. How are we going to apply math in a hands-on manner? It's a content-based subject, not project-based. But if the writer didn't mean application in a technical and hands-on sense. I think the knowledge is actually sufficiently applied in tutorials and assignments. For Science subjects, there are always lab sessions to let JC students see the reactions for themselves up close and personal.
In my personal opinion, the word "application" has many definitions and depends on how one looks at it.
"Polytechnics are better equipped. That goes without a saying.
Wi-Fi, 7 storey libraries, Cafe's. Is there really any comparison?"
The writer probably forgot to mention the difference in school fees between poly and JC.
Wi-Fi wise, VJC was very well-equipped with that. 7-storey libraries and cafes? Just down Marine Parade Road (Though the marine parade library is probably only 2 stories tall... haha...). Cafes at Parkway Parade! =)
"University Admission. Now, it is definitely easier
to get to a local uni via the JC route. However, do keep
in mind that NUS/NTU is just another university. It certainly
is not "the best" (as much as the society would like you to think)
And a huge number of Poly students go on to get their degrees or
even their PHDs. So there."
Again, the word "huge" is subject to interpretation. And then again, there are also "huge" numbers of JC students who enter better universities than NUS or NTU. so there. =P
"Uniforms. Tsk. You still need your school
to dictate what you wear? That is very, very sad.
So much for an individualistic, post modernist society."
Again... school fees. Notice that university students don't need to wear uniforms too?
"Summary.
Agreed, poly students do not undergo the same stresses that JC students do.
Mugging etc. However, (i'm making a really generalized statement here, and it applies only to MCM)
the curriculum and teaching staff in the poly tend to make our work really interesting AND relevant.
And doing fun stuff definitely beats mugging.
the Jc route is still the preferred choice if you wanna go for a local uni admission.
However, don't diss poly students. going to a JC to be "elitist" is plain ridiculous,
and reflects on your mental maturity."
I definitely agree with that.
Why did I try to rebutt the writer? Well, I just felt i needed to add some balance to the argument. I'm not dissing the writer. But it's really sad how some JC students graduate with such elitist and biased views. I empathise with the writer although I'm from JC! haha...
