UNIS has recently introduced a set of vending machines down the sports center and a card machine in the cafeteria suggesting that they might be planning to invest and introduce a card-payment system soon. While both provide possible alternatives in terms of available resources and accessibility respectively, there are still some improvements that need to be conducted.

Firstly, I was disappointed with the location of the vending machines. They are located at the back of the school, in front of the changing rooms of the gym. While this may be ideal for some students who play sports such as badminton or basketball during lunch, the machines are isolated from rest of the community. Placing them near one of the ends of the school is resulting in less accessibility. However, it is important to note that while the location and products may not be ideal, it does provide alternatives to the canteen, which is definitely a welcome change.

We also got a look at a machine placed in the cafeteria. I am familiar with these machines, which replaces the cash and the lunch tickets with a single card. While this system may seem like an exciting idea, it is very difficult to work with and can be quite redundant. Cash needs to be transferred to the credit card, which is a hassle, as it is very difficult to get the machine to accept notes, and can be time consuming. Using the machine to check balances and complete other such actions can also be difficult at times, though the software generally works better than the uploading of cash. While there is no certainty when or even if such a system will be put in place, it is important to be aware of both the advantages and the problems.

With all that said, new alternatives and technology is definitely a step in the forward direction, and while there will always be some difficulties, it is refreshing to know that our school experience can be improved further.