Rank It!

Commentary, Opinion, Rank It!, School Life

Rank It: Water Coolers!
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By: Foo Le Xuan Shanice (25S03A)

Back in primary school, I refused to drink from water coolers, opting instead to spend a generous 70 cents, out of my daily allowance of 2 dollars, to buy a bottle of water when I ran out of water. I would say my aversion to water coolers was justified.

I mean, how are we supposed to trust that the water coming out of these metal boxes (which have been here since the school first opened) is safe for consumption? When was the last time these pipes were cleaned? Every time I tasted the water from the water cooler, I couldn’t help but wonder just how many different strains of bacteria were swirling around in my bottle. 

However, as time goes by, I’ve slowly grown accustomed to drinking from water coolers (with rising inflation and global warming, my Dasani-buying days were soon brought to an end). However, I still tend to only stick to the few coolers I know are good (special shoutout to Block A Level 7’s water cooler).

Hence, I decided to go around the school and try out some of the most popular water coolers amongst the RI student population to scout out more “safe” water coolers. 

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Opinion, Raffles Reviews, Rank It!

Rank it! Would you like a Cuppa’ Noodles?
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Bixin Qiu (25A01A) and Sophie Chong (25A01A)

Cup noodles. Something that, as children, our bright eyes zeroed in on as soon as we walked into a convenience or grocery store of any sort. Something that everyone craves now and then. Something so easy to prepare, it’s the first thing we reach for when we need a quick meal. Hence, as struggling students with limited time and money, being able to make an informed choice about what cup noodles to consume is especially important. 

In this article, therefore, we’ll be ranking those cup noodle options, simultaneously saving you the need to personally sacrifice time and money (and health) on finding a potential favourite. 

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Commentary, Opinion, Raffles Reviews, Rank It!

Rank It! NDP Songs Edition
Reading Time: 8 minutes

By Chen Ying (25A01C), Qiu Bixin (25A01A) and Rhea Sharma (25S06A)

It’s that time of the year again. 

Distinct red and white coloured flags line every HDB flat. The rarely used red T-shirt in the back of your closet makes a reappearance. Speakers in malls and schools alike play a selection of patriotic songs.

Yes, you’ve probably guessed it. It’s none other than National Day! And to celebrate our nation’s birthday this year, Raffles Press will present a ranking of the National Day Parade (NDP) songs—but before that, let’s revisit the beginnings of the NDP songs…

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Commentary, Humour, Opinion, Rank It!

Let’s Be Rail: A Definitive Ranking of the MRT Lines
Reading Time: 9 minutes

By Valerie Ng (25S06N)

6 lines, 140 stations, 200 kilometres. The Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) system in Singapore is, undoubtedly, the most economic way to get around. It offers speed and efficiency – hence “rapid” – with a minimal amount of effort, and boasts great interconnectivity all throughout the country (if you think about it, every MRT line has at least 1 interchange for every other line). 

According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the system has over 3 million daily riders – hence “mass” – serving as nothing less than a confirmation that the MRT proves integral to our lives in Singapore. 

After letting the MRT take me everywhere these past 17 years, I have come up with a ranking of the MRT lines. I hesitate to say that the list is up for contention, but I suppose this is, somewhat, a matter of “to each, their own”. 

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Commentary, Opinion, Raffles Reviews, Rank It!

Press Rates Games: A Review of The New York Times Games
Reading Time: 10 minutes

By Betty Ding (25A01B) and Isaac Chan (25A01B)

“It’s not a distraction if I’m practising for GP.”

Such is the justification of many a Rafflesian, or otherwise student, who plays The New York Times (NYT) Games as a respite from studying (or listening in class). Testing players on their vocabulary, general knowledge, or sometimes seemingly nothing at all, NYT Games are a staple in lots of Rafflesians’ daily routines. Boasting selections like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, new puzzles are released every day, and range from trivially easy to mind-numbingly difficult. 

We at Raffles Press have taken it upon ourselves to rank these games from our own experience as avid players and input from fellow NYT Games addicts. To fairly rank each game, we have come up with a set of criteria: Ease, Fun, and Popularity, to determine which NYT Game is decidedly the best. All the games ranked will be those offered with a free NYT account, and ranked based on what is available at the free tier.

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