Change for Improvement

Residential college is a place where students stay during their studies in the university. It is very important for the students who stay in college to be provided with secure, clean and comfortable environment that facilitates collaborative and communal learning and living, factors significant in improving the quality of students’ education. An ideal residential college is one that is completely provided with facilities like cafeteria, cyber café, common room and etc. However, this is not the case with some of the residential college in UPM, especially our college. The facilities indeed are provided by the residential management but are insufficient and very poor maintained.

One of the most crucial problems in our college is the cafeteria. Despite having many stalls open that sell variety types of food to students, the hygiene in food preparations are often disregarded. The food sellers often wear dirty clothes and rarely wash their hands when handling the foods. The foods are also often left out without cover that could lead to food contamination by common disease-transmitting vectors such as flies, rats and cockroaches. The dining tables are also dirty and not properly clean especially during peak time. Besides that, the prices of the foods in the cafeteria are unexpectedly expensive unequal with the amount of the food bought. Better services and low food prices should be provided as good as that can be found in the other cafeteria.

Yet, the main problem still lies on the college itself. Inadequate facilities such as common room, tutorial room, pantry and even water cooler are often upsetting. While the other college students are relaxing themselves watching television, reading magazines or playing board games in the common room, some of us are stressing in our room where there is always hesitation to make some noise for fear of distracting other roommates who are studying. Alas, watching television can only be done at the cafeteria which is quite a distance. Crammed with the small room with four members make things worse as stress can easily occur, resulting anger and fights. Some even have little choice but to try to fit in or simply leave the college and stay outside. Hence, providing common rooms is very much required.

Nevertheless, the facilities in this residential college can be improved as well as the management of the college itself. I found this very distracting as the students can hardly able to gain attention from the residential management regarding their complaints and discomfort. It is fear that our performance in academic will be greatly affected with the continuous poor hospitality and facilities provided that eventually make the college not suitable for staying anymore.

Considering other things, what we ask for is not much. All we want is comfort in a place where we stay, a place that we can call home for as long as we are the students of UPM. Therefore, I really wish that more facilities can be provided and are given appropriate valuation. For your kind attention sir, I thank you.