The GEP Programme in Singapore

I chanced upon this documentary and decided to watch it. It's quite an eye-opener. Refreshing, yes, to know about the GEP programme.

I never knew what the GEP programme was about until I finished watching this video. I'm surprised that GEP-pers are given some sort of special treatment, and view themselves in a different light, whether good or bad.

It made me ponder about the people that I meet in NUS. I've met some incredibly brilliant and different people. Different in that they seem to know where they're going. Different in that they dare to act in whatever way they want, and do not conform as much regarding ideas that they have.

I've led a YEP project with an ex-R.I. GEP student. He's not loud, but it requires him little effort to do well in NUS. He's slightly socially awkward, but a brilliant planner. He leads as a mastermind, and I lead as his mouthpiece. He has a heart for the NGO (what a waste, I thought, but it's amusing that he doesn't want the riches of the world).

I've another friend, an ex-GEP student. He dropped out of GEP because he was frustrated with the system. He didn't study hard enough for the GEP exam. He went on to Polytechnic, did extremely well, came to NUS to do the only thing he was passionate about in his life - Computing. The lecturer, according to him, was not smart enough to impart him more than what textbooks could offer, and even faulted him when he kindly reminded his lecturer that there was an honest mistake made. He changed course to Economics, made sure he did well enough ONLY to pass the exam (told his lecturer that he won't be submitting 2 out of 3 of his assignments), and graduated with merit.

There is another person whom I know who is a bird-watcher. He's interested in everything - History, Literature, Nature... He found life too boring and took a Year 4 course in Year 1. Obviously he didn't do well because NUS marks papers against standard answers. It was interesting to note that he could distinguish the species of birds just by its call, and he's too absorbed to everything and anything, he didn't have time for his studies (and neither did he care, really).


There are people whom I know who are extremely brilliant who didn't appear so brilliant at age 9, and hence didn't make it to GEP. Perhaps these are people who secretly admire non-conformity, people who constantly have ideas but were told to hush... *ponders*