Sunday, June 04, 2006
Sorry for the long haitus folks, the packed schedule's been absolutely killing me. Waking up at 7 and coming home past 12 every day just drains the hell outta anyone. Not to mention the late nights pouring over blocking for my upcoming Rapture item. Goodness.
Anyway, I'd like to talk about that NUS ad. You probably know which one I'm talking about. You know: The one with that ang mo girl leafing through university brouchures and going "Hmm, Wharton, Michigan... -SQUEAL!- I got into NUS!!"
Actually, I quite like the ad. Despite what some people said in the Sunday Times today, I dont think its in bad taste at all. I think its absolutely refreshing to see something different from the usual scenes of students smiling with their professors at study tables. (I mean, honestly, does that really happen?)
I like the fact that it pokes fun at some typical Singaporean traits, like how a typical Singaporean student (like me) would be really excited at the prospect of going to an overseas uni, or how we ban chewing gum (Yes, the ang mos still find it amazing. I was talking to this guy whom I shared a cab with in the States, and he was fascinated by our laws)
I like it cause it pokes fun at itself too. Now dont get me wrong, I'm sure NUS business is a fantastic school (I'd wanted to enroll there once too), as are all other business schools in Singapore. Hell, with our kind of students, we spoil the market for the rest of the world, at least according to some Korean and Indian Penn pre-freshies I've been talking to recently. However, we have to admit that NUS does not have the reputation of a business school nowhere near the likes of Wharton, Michigan and Stanford. I mean, c'mon, we all know that's a fact.
We're probably too young to have any significant impact on the world (yet). But hey, we're not even 50 yet and we have PRC and Indian scholars dreaming to study with us too. So we're on our way. Give us another 50 - 100 years and I'd daresay we'd be amongst Wharton's ranks. So there's nothing wrong with aiming towards that. And I guess that's what the ad is all about, what NUS/NTU/SMU will probably be like a hundred years from now.
It probably sounds hypocritical coming from someone who's flying off to study in the States, but hey, give our local unis a chance yea. We only get to places we wanna be by aiming high after all.
he rocked the party at 9:10 AM |
