National University of Singapore

Well, before I start this entry (you can get an inkling of the subject from the title), let me just say that this entry contains purely personal opinions from my very narrow perspective. I do not claim that I know alot, nor do I claim that I've received superior education thus far. I believe education is limitless and should not be confined to the classrooms, schools or teachers that you interact with.
Therefore, if you read further along that line, you'd also understand that I do not think that any school is better than another. It depends on what kind of values you want to gain and learn, and the compatibility of your personality and the school.

I mean no harm.
So please. Do NOT slam me on this.

Where I'm coming from, you are entitled to have your personal opinions of me and the reasons underlying the comments I make. But let's just say I would not appreciate your negative personal opinions and opinions that will piss me off.

Right.
Now that I've made it all clear. I am ready to slam speak of some issues that have been bothering me a fair bit.

Over the weekend, whilst I was lazing in front of the TV, laughing at the Singapore Idols contestant (that's why I'd never join, nor will I be able to understand why anyone will join reality shows in Singapore for people to LAUGH at). The following 2 commercials caught my attention.

(I searched the net for it can)







Well, I hope they play swell, but if you can't see them and are interested. Click!

I personally dislike commercials.
Well, specifically, I dislike the boring commercials, those that repeat themselves constantly and/or those that are very very annoying.
This is my first time seeing this 2 commercials.
Honestly, my filters for commercials did not pick them out to be disliked. They are not that annoying and well, I didn't manage to stay long enough on Channel 5 to watch every single commercial during Singapore Idol.
But I am however going to comment on this 2 commercials (on NUS) because it is fundamentally baffling.

Despite my inexperience in marketing (and life), I shall give my 2cents worth on the above 2 commericals.
Nothing in depth. Just some points that came up during and after the commercial.
For the record.
After the end of the first one, I actually dropped my jaw and gave a "huuuh" sound. I don't think it was on purpose, it just came out naturally.
Hur hur.

Here goes.

1. And the point of the commercials is? Well, I think I've mentioned this before. I seriously don't see why schools should advertise. It demeans Education altogether does it not? Because this school is perceived as a preferred choice, therefore I (the student) choose to be educated by that particular school?

Choosing a school to receive education from for the next 3 years should imitate choosing a credit card to sign up for. From the likes of it, it is trending towards that. The commercial tells us, just how prestigious the school is and how it is preferred by many others globally (specifically the Business School). This inevitably paints the scenario, of how I should choose that school because many others around the world are choosing it, and therefore, I should join the bandwagon and receive education from this school because others are doing it. NOT because this is what suits me, or what is of interest to me.

Selecting a school (if given the power of choice) should not be influenced by such commercial factors. You are selecting the source to which you are going to learn and be nurtured. And this, depends on yourself and what each school offers. Not the picture that the school paints for you.
That is to say, you should be asking if the learning methods and approaches fit your style of learning. Do you think you will be able to maximise learning through the methods undertaken by that particular school. Or if the culture of that school is something you are comfortable with.

Thus far, I do not mean to imply that students are not supposed to research on the different choices that they have. Because really the responsibility is solely up to the students themselves to find out about the culture and the learning approaches and even courses offered.

Having commercials as NUS have done telling you how they are "preferred globally" is seriously crossing the border of providing information. It leans towards "influence", or "selling".
You sell your good the way a credit card company would sell their credit cards. Because of this, I feel it is unethical (or perhaps immoral) to actively reach out to influence and SELL your school, and their image to the general population.
Constant repetition is going to ingraine the proposed fact that "NUS is preferred globally" to Singaporeans. And they are supposed to start thinking in the long run that NUS provides education that is globally preferred. This is not wrong, if you are advertising for a local brand of fruit juice. But when it comes to education. This is wrong. Because people who are sold will limit their options and simply choose NUS, because they think that being schooled in a globally preferred university is important. With that, they compromise the many other more important factors.
Is this how you should perceive Education? If this is how NUS perceives Education, I am sorely disappointed. Because I thought better of them.
Education should not be about profit maximising. From the likes of it, it definitely feels like it is. Because NUS seemed to have launched this campaign to promote their university because of the emerging SMU.

I am not saying I prefer SMU because thus far they have not had any TV commericials. (I think)
Actually I am not saying NO to commercials totally. It purely depends on what is the message that the commercial bring.
Quite some time ago, I remember when SMU just started, they launched a series of campaigns and really cute print commercials in papers and billboards.
It did not turn me off as much as the NUS commercials did. Because it is understandable. They were just starting up, and they need to let others know what they are about, and what type of school they envisioned themselves to be.
It simply promoted a fun and different environment that you can relate to their learning approach. This is, nothing normal was going to be expected. You'd receive a different type of education and expected to learn with more unconventional methods.
This is good. Because it tells you just what you can expect and how you should expected to be educated. Therefore, if you are into being "different" and want to try out something different, you'd know that there is an alternative.
The message (to me) did not seem very much like they were trying to sell you something. They were trying to sell you a point about their school. And you it is up to you if you want a different education. And let me tell you. Not everybody wanted it. Because during my time. It ain't popular. Everyone still had that thought that you'd receive better education from NUS. (to which, I cannot comment)

Let's just hope SMU will not start advertising the way the NTU and NUS business schools are advertising.

2. The truth behind the message. The reason why I gaped at both the advertisements was because it truly sounded incredulous. When you watch a commercial, you need to be able to believe in what the commercial is trying to sell. Did anyone of you honestly believed in what the commercials were purporting?
That NUS was the preferred choice over the schools that are (far far away?)
Say you are accepted in the ivy leagues of schools, do you truly think you would accept NUS BECAUSE they are your prefer to?
Maybe like I've mentioned earlier that after research, some will feel that their learning approach fits to what NUS sells, instead of the overseas universities.
Perhaps the learning approaches of the overseas universities some people may not be comfortable with. But is that a majority?

Not only are they saying locals prefer NUS, but they are saying overseas ang moh are ecstatic about coming to Singapore to receive education from a globally preferred university.
The last I checked, 1 in 4 ang mohs do not know where Singapore is lor. Like that, how to be globally preferred? When they don't even know where you are?

You attempt to sell us the story of you being "globally preferred". But do you honestly think the audience buy it?
You are but only prestigious because Singapore is such a small country. And being the first university you are naturally by default prestigious. Not only that, your local government bodies support you blindly.
We have stat boards wanting students that are locally schooled. (read: With a good local degree). But if you pit this degree out with the rest of the world. Maybe not that far, but with say Australia. Do you think you have a fair international standing as say UCLA?

Don't sell ideas that we find incredulous. Because it will only cause us to laugh our heads off.
Just like how some would like you to think that 66% is a good enough result.

Better yet, in that commercial, the mother mentioned that Singapore boys are too cute for her liking.
Excuse me, auntie.
I didn't know you like ugly dowdy boys.
Crazy or what?

3. Your audience. When you have a commercial, you should really tailor the commercial for the audience. Let's just say NUS did a pretty good job at that with the 2nd commercial. Afterall, they used a rather cute (and typically annoying) little boy. And we saw how he bugged his sibling (as always) to tell him where he was choosing to be schooled at.
That truly captured the crowd. The whole commercial was flawlessly put together really.
Just that the message was wrong.

Once again, the brother told us he was offered by many schools overseas, but at the end of the day he choose to be schooled in Singapore.

I have a few questions.
- if in the first place Singapore is your no1 preferred choice, why apply for overseas uni as well? Very rich is it?
- if you did so well in your A Levels, applied for overseas university, say Harvard and you're accepted. Would you prefer a "globally preferred university" like NUS? I mean honestly?

If your target audience are at the age whereby they are easily influenced (read: not too smart yet) say below the age of 12. Perhaps those 2 commercials will be well-received, and they will be able to be captivated and buy your ridiculous theories about how NUS is preferred by the ang moh living far far away.
But the population watching Singapore Idol on Sunday are widely spread out demographically.
Therefore, I honestly do not think it is wise that you try to sell something so unbelieveable to this huge target audience. It leads to backlash.

So I say, if you strongly feel you should advertise and do a commercial to sell your school.. do it right.

--
Like I mention earlier, I have no preference towards the 3 local universities in Singapore, because I am schooled privately. Although I had limited choices. I chose not because of the commercials that I was drawn to. But more so because of the things that I wanted to gain knowledge on, have interest in and wanted to pursue a career in. Given a choice, should one be choosing the career they want to pursue in and/or the school that they want to receive 3 years of education on because of the prestige that they are selling?
I hardly think so.

Note: As much as I liked the teaching methods/style and culture of SMU, I think the system is also flawed in some ways. This, I may return to comment another time (perhaps when they do a commercial). And I would want to comment not because I claim to be an expert in education.
Like I've always maintained. It is just a personal opinion that I would like to share.
And I fully and truly believe that not all of you will agree on my stand towards any of the above.

PS. For long lengthy posts like this. I cannot bother to read and edit.
If I am not making sense, or have tons of spelling and/or grammatical errors, I can only hope you will overlook them and not think lowly of me.
I am just tired.