I've decided to do up this post due to many requests for it plus I want to dedicate this post to my FPBA classmates. So as most of you know, I've just completed my Poly Foundation Programme(PFP) in Ngee Ann Poly(NP).
Don't know what PFP is?
1. The Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP) is a one-year programme that offers a practice-oriented curriculum taught by polytechnic lecturers, to better prepare polytechnic-bound N(A) students for entry into the relevant Polytechnic Diploma courses. This is an alternative to the Sec 5 year. PFP students are given provisional places in diploma programmes, subject to them passing all modules in the one-year PFP. The requirement to pass all modules ensures that students continue to work hard during their PFP year and are well prepared for polytechnic studies. Students who apply effort should have no difficulties in meeting the requirement.
2. The PFP caters to students of the Sec 4N(A) cohort in the preceding year. The PFP will have about 1,200 places set aside each year. It will be offered by all five Polytechnics. More than 80% of Polytechnic Diploma courses will be offered under the PFP.
My Story
Well, my PFP year has been really amazing as a whole. But I'm not saying that it was all good throughout. It didn't really start off all that great to be honest. There were people who judged me based on their first impression of me, which wasn't a good one. One had the impression that I was all play and no study and she spread that around class... Which was quite a stupid assumption 'cause I mean - I got into PFP BS, didn't I? So well that led me to being excluded most of the time.. And that kinda sucked. I was betrayed and ignored; and that, I admit, was extremely tough to deal with. Despite being friends with the rest of the class, I felt really alone because everyone had their own cliques and I wasn't really part of any of them. But I came into NP knowing quite a few people, so I wasn't all that depressed. During that low period of time, I would just go and meet my friends outside of class during breaks. I was very distant from my classmates. But after a few weeks, things got somewhat better. I stuck to two girls in my class which were thankfully very welcoming, and I passed the auditions and got into the New Revolving Age(NRA), NP's Hip Hop dance club. Really, thank god for NRA. I love(d) NRA so much because most of my fellow NRA members were really welcoming at the start and they got me through that darker part of the year.
After about a month or two later, it was then things changed for the better(for me). I'm sorry to say, karma struck and the the girl who didn't like me got what she deserved at the time. She then understood how I felt and apologized, and we became friends again. But anyway, after that, slowly everyone became neutral with each other and we all started to actually bond more as a whole class. It's such a pity though because we only started to bond so sooo much at the end.
Pros
- Head-start to Year 1. It really does help quite a bit.
- Lectures are done in a small class. Trust me, it's so much better/easier/productive as compared to big lecture halls.
- All classes are mostly at one location; don't have to travel so much. I swear, travelling around school is a bitch.
- Gets to try out a various number of Sports & Wellness(S&W) programmes.
- Everyone knows almost everyone (the more active ones of course) because the whole cohort is so small.
- Quite little workload
- Only a pass in each module is required, you don't have to score high.
- NO GPA!!!!!!!!!!!
- You'll be entering Year 1 knowing more people as compared to those who just enroll
- Seeing your fellow friends struggling for o's while you're relaxing........ Quite shiok hehe
Cons
- 4 Years in Poly
- Not eligible to go for Year 1 camps. So you'll generally feel more left out in school.
- You don't get CCA points if you're in a CCA in your PFP year. (You only get them from Year 1 onwards)
- A lot of people don't know what's PFP. So you'll have to explain yourself over and over again, and god it's tiring.
- Year 1 friends that you meet during your PFP year will all be your "seniors"/GL/SC the following year
- You don't have an 'O' level cert. An 'N' level cert is not recognized so you can't fail in poly.
A Little Advice
- If you are still thinking whether to go for PFP or to carry on to taking your O's..
Ask yourself these few questions:
Where do you want to go?
Do you want to enroll in a JC or a Poly?
If it's a Poly - are you sure of the course?
Because once you choose that course, you'll be focusing on studying that for four years. And if you want to transfer to another course, you only can do it after completing Year 1. So you would have wasted two years studying something you're not interested in.
Do you think that you can make it into your desired course if you were to take O's?
Actually, the (sort of) better route is to take O's. Because if you can score well, why not? You would be achieving and getting a recognized 'O' level cert instead of an unrecognized 'N' level cert. Buttttt most of us are lazy so yeah.
For me, I wanted to go to a JC. But I didn't really have a choice. To be eligible for a JC, you needed to have 6 subjects and I had only five subjects because I took CLB and it wasn't counted. So my decision to enter poly was already decided for me. Plus I didn't want to continue on to take O's even though it would've been better for me in terms of my certificate. I was basically just too lazy and I didn't think I would've scored as well for O's so I didn't risk it.
- Join a CCA that you're interested in during your PFP year. Yes, you won't get CCA pts. But you would meet so many more people and poly life wouldn't be so boring. The PFP year is not stressful, so I advise you guys to take advantage of that fact and choose from over a hundred CCAs that NP offers!
- For those childish guys that likes to casually insult girls - (y'know that bunch of Secondary School boys that shouts at random schoolmates(girls) calling them sluts and what have you?) If you get into NP, I highly advise you guys to change your attitude and behavior. Because from what I know and have experienced, if you're like that in this school, you would have close to zero friends.
P.S.
This whole post is only based on my personal outlook on NP's PFP. I have decided to post this up due to quite a number of requests for it. Others may have different opinions/views and other schools carry out PFP differently. You can choose to take my advice or ignore it.
I really hope this post has helped you future/interested PFP students in some way!
If you have any other questions, you can ask me
here, or you can drop me an e-mail @ ellenayoung_@hotmail.com!
NP GRADUATION
D'you know that I was the one who was responsible for Richard's(above) makeover? ;)
YES I DESERVE THE CREDIT THX
Y'all must see how he looked like when he first entered poly man.
Yay fpba family selfie-ing!!
Yvonne('S FIRST TIME IN A DRESS) & Steph (My ootd photographer for my PFP year LOL)
Fellix(Not from pfp) & Sendra!
Daphne!
Gina~
And faggotron Siang trying to photobomb at the back hahahaha
Suhailah~
Yu Wei! Koh fish & grill
Erika!
Richard & Ivan
Ivan & Sze Siang
Nicole, Anne & Pei Zhen!
Tze Yee!
Wayne Ong! My fellow NRA PFP classmate~
Retards
Part of FPBA!
Rachel, Gina, Daphne, Wayne, Richard,Yvonne, Yu Wei, Sendra, Siang, Steph, Kingston
Aloy!
Aline, Geneva, Suhailah, Rachel, Steph
PFP GLS!
Nicholas! This boy has grown so so so much during the PFP year.
Truly proud of him.
Waiyang!
Why do I look so fat here :(
Jasper~
NIC OMG
My first and closest friend in PFP. Looooooove her to bits.
Ivan & Fiqkry!
Nigel Chua! My (slightly feminine) bus buddy who loves to listen to my life stories.
Truthfully, at the beginning, I hated my class tremendously; I just wanted the year to be over and then I'll be moving on to a new class and I wouldn't have to talk to them ever again. However, right now, i'm so damn sad that we're all no longer classmates. But i'm really very proud and extremely glad to say that even though most of us are separated into different classes, we're still as bonded as ever. We have each other's backs and we're like family. I love every single one of them so much and i'm so happy to have them in my life. I really hope we would still be this close two years down the road in year 3.
#FPBAHUAT
" To lay down in bed with friends,
forgetting about the world,
and eating,
and laughing,
and singing,
is one of the best things in the world. "
