ROOT members Roy Ng (left), Evan Sidhi Peradijaya (right), and Claudia Koh (not pictured) tell us why the ROOT Cove and Student Housing are great spaces to spend some time in.
When it comes to the best hangout/study area on campus, it’s got to be you and your squad’s favourite bench in front of the lecture theatre, right? Or perhaps it’s the cohort classroom. Maybe you’re a fan of the library – the options are aplenty. Today, though, we’re shining the spotlight on two locations: the ROOT Cove and Student Housing.
We speak to Evan (outgoing President), Roy (outgoing Vice President) and Claudia (incoming Media & Marketing Secretary) from ROOT, SUTD’s very own student government body, to find out why these spaces should be your next favourite spots in campus.
Put your wits to the test with a game of Go – or with the other board games available in the ROOT Cove!
ROOT Cove:
The most underrated student lounge in SUTD
Where?
2.311A (Building 2, Level 3 (and 4), Room 11A)
Why should we hang here?
Because it’s designed by students, for students.
If the ROOT Cove sounds new to you, it’s probably because “most people don’t know about ROOT Cove,” Roy quips with a laugh. Seriously folks? You’re missing out.
ROOT Cove is a super cosy, double storey, student-only lounge managed by the friendly people from ROOT. And if you’re “most people”, we urge you to read on and find out why ROOT Cove is the place where you should be hanging out next time:
Teardrops on my guitar… no wait – our senior’s guitar. Yes, ROOT Cove is open to kind contributions! That’s what makes it cosier!
- Renovation works are currently underway
Which means new space and a better experience. “We want to make the place more conducive for both collaborative and interactive activities,” Evan explains. And they’ve got the best people to do just that: ASD (Architecture and Sustainable Design) students – future renowned architects. “The vibes will be much better for sure after that,” Roy adds happily.
- It’s designed for work and play; doing serious work, doing nothing, gaming, chilling – everything, really.
While the old ROOT Cove was a neat open space with plenty of tables for studying, the new ROOT Cove will see better segmented spaces with four main activity areas:
- Central Breakout Area
An open, versatile space equipped with a projector. On most days, it’s a friendly spot for meetings and general chilling. On other days, it’s perfect for movie sessions, workshops and other events. Once the renovations are complete, the space will also see a wooden stepped platform (à la Library@Orchard) that’s not only great for lounging, but good for the gram too! #campuslife
Whether you’re taking a short break from studies, or you’re taking the afternoon easy, the foosball table’s got you covered. ^
- Games Corner
This space features a brand new TV, console games (Nintendo Switch anyone?), board games, a foosball and a pool table!
Yes, this is a custom-made gaming console built for the sole purpose of fun. >
- Discussion Corner
You’ll find long tables for meetings, study sessions and even communal meals with your friends! Just make sure to clean up before you leave.
- Upstairs Study Area
This is Claudia’s favourite space, and we can see why. It’s furnished with comfy lazy couches, and study tables for some serious mugging – alone or in small, cosier groups.
We love Baby Groot, but we love this high ceiling and double-storey area even more. >
- You can book the entire space.
“The Office of Marketing once held their SUTD Women x Tech & Design event here,” Roy recalls. “Dance DerivativeZ (SUTD’s Fifth Row dance club) had their internal selection here, and a freshmore class booked the place for a year-end celebration.” Looking for a space to hold an event? Just give ROOT a heads-up and they can arrange to have the lounge blocked off for you.
- It’s open 24/7.
Need a space? Feel free to drop by; no booking required (except for private events of course)!
This pool table is courtesy from the Fifth Row Cue Sports. >
The Recreational Room: the “air-conditioned space with bean bags” that’s great for chilling, streaming movies and gaming – “We used to play with our friend’s Nintendo Switch here after our papers!” Evan recounts.
Student Housing:
The home away from home
Where?
Blocks 55, 57, 59
Why should we hang here?
It’s where most of us live – freshmores especially!
Prospective students – take note! It’s compulsory for all first year students to spend their first two terms in hostels. And from what we’ve heard, many are finding it difficult to leave by the end of the period (staying on for seniors is subject to the school’s approval). So what makes living on campus so appealing? Let’s find out:
- The sweet, sweet taste of freedom.
This answer was unanimous. “I love the feeling of being independent, to be able to do things on my own,” Roy declares. “That’s part of the reason why I chose to come to SUTD too!” Claudia laughs and agrees, “I was quite happy as well because I don’t have my own space at home. It’s my first time out of the house so it was really quite exciting!”
- You get a roomie who matches your vibe.
“What time do you sleep? Are you a light sleeper? What’s your preferred air condition degree? Do you often bring friends over?” These are some questions our freshmores have to answer before they’re allocated a hostel room. Unlike second-year students and above, freshmores have to share a double room with an assigned roommate.
But with this unique ‘roomie-matching’ questionnaire, getting a roommate who matches your lifestyle isn’t too hard. “The current batch of freshmores mentioned that many of them clicked with their roommates,” Evan substantiates. “Some of them even become really close friends!”
Pin your well-wishes in the bulletin!
Open cooking space = cook-off sessions!
We don’t have owls, but we have mailboxes.
Put your prized cooking tools and secret ingredients in the kitchen’s personal lockers.
- There are House Guardians on every floor to take care of you.
Not to nanny you, but to make sure you’re nicely settled. “House Guardians (HG) are like floor ICs (in-charge),” Claudia, who’s a HG herself, explains. “We organise bonding activities for residents on our floor, take care of their safety and ensure that hostel rules and regulations are followed.”
- The showers in the toilets are great.
“It makes me feel like I’m in a spa,” Roy describes with a laugh. Sorry to burst your bubble, but we’re talking about shower temperatures here, not spa facilities. “The water is hot enough and it’s really nice!” he adds with a smile.
- And so are the gym and pool facilities.
“I’ll miss the gym and swimming pool when I leave,” Evan shares. “They’re pretty well-maintained. Compared to the gyms in other schools, ours is definitely newer and a lot cleaner.”
- But of course, the best part of hostel life has to be the friends…
“Hostel life is really for me because there are so many people here. You can just mingle around and take part in hostel events,” Roy relates.
Claudia agrees: “You really get to bond with your classmates, and also know people outside of your class. I think that’s what makes the freshmore year really fun!”
- … the camaraderie…
“We used to have these physics and maths crash courses in each other’s rooms before our papers. That was quite fun,” Evan reminisces.
“And if you’re struggling with your homework, you can always meet a friend five minutes later in the meeting room for a discussion,” Roy adds. “I think it’s this kind of convenience that really strengthens our friendships.”
- … and late-night shenanigans.
“And supper! It’s a big part of hostel life,” Claudia laughs. “Like when you’re sad or something, you can always ask your friends to go out with you for supper.”
Roy continues: “Or you can head to the rooftop and chat till late.”
“It won’t be the same if we do that over video calls or telegram.” Claudia agrees.
“Hostel life is like the catalyst for so many good memories,” Roy ends with a smile.
Like what you just read?
Discover what makes our hostel experience unique
https://wearesutd.sutd.edu.sg/sutd-ents/community-makes-a-hostel-a-home/
Missed our Open House talks? Rewatch the sessions here.
#whySUTD? We’re glad you asked – here’s why!
It can be hard to ask the right questions that will help you to decide which university to join, so we’ve compiled a list of FAQs for you here.
