07th Mar2009

The “Difference” Factor – Why it matters…and why it does not

by Dorothy

Here, Guy Kawasaki talks about the Harvard’s admission process, an alternative take on an educational institution that one normally assumes does not have to pro actively reach out to get applicants.

Full disclaimer: I am currently schooling in a tertiary institution in Singapore.

Having said that, I am not going to engage in one of those comparison posts. I do not want to compare, because one cannot do so if one has not been in any of the other major universities in Singapore. What you hear about the various institutions is probably true, but remember that perception largely depends on who is perceiving it. It would be prudent to see if the source of an opinion is of a similar personality to yourself, or is similar enough for you to think that a similar experience would result if you attended X institution. Just because your best friend’s niece loved a certain school and excelled while being in it, does not guarantee the same for yourself. But then again, what do you know when you’re around 18 to 20 years of age? :)

The institutional salience filter: Labeling Theory

Obviously, labels make a difference. I suppose, to a certain extent, all these labeling issues will always be around. Here’s a take from the article on Harvard.

“What we aim to do is to get the very best faculty together with the very best students,” he says. “Our hope is that these synergies will develop the talents of these students to a much greater degree and that they will then give back a lot more to America and the world.”

That is their promise, and that is the edge that Harvard students get in their first impressions. I suppose the general rule of thumb is, never, ever in a situation to introduce yourself as being from a certain institution and stop there, expecting that that alone will entitle you to anything. Where you are from at most gives you an edge, it is not a reason for anyone to hire you.

Another thing, it is not just the student cohort that makes any institution different. It is also the gatekeepers, the ones selecting who gets to be in the institution, both at an administrative, faculty and student level. It is the industry, the ones who come into contact with those associated with an institution that will perpetuate the external brand image of the typical character found in that institution. It is the school “culture”.

Why I am loving where I am/have been
Totally awesome modules like the Business Study Mission (I’m New York Dec’07), Digital Media Across Asia (here’s what we’re building for the community), opportunities for Student Exchange Programs (GO HOOS! UVA) are amongst the things that I will cherish in my undergraduate life.

A whole multitude of other opportunities are out there when potential students come in, for anyone keen to take them up. These come in the forms of the various CCA clubs, Case Competitions, Overseas Community projects, bond free scholarships. And most of all, the hunger and drive that is in the student cohorts. So there are many chances for you to learn, and also to give back. There are many chances for you to step out of your comfort zone and grow.

Of course, you could choose not to participate in any of these, and just exist as a normal undergraduate.

What I am advocating
Take a more proactive stance in your education. The pedagogy is not entrenched in stone, neither is the syllabus, neither is your educational route. The opportunities are out there, it is up to you to find those that have the best fit with who you want to become. There is also nothing wrong with stumbling into something that you find you are good at.

Open House
I have to say I am loving the experiment into Web 2.0 elements in this year’s Open House Campaign with blogs and the like, but there are just too many things going on in the front landing page of the website, completely overwhelming the viewer. Where do I start?

Their Photoshopped signages in the advertorial campaigns need much more work. Take the cue from Industrial Light Magic when they created Star Wars, and realized that a bit of dirt on their shiny spaceships made it seem that much more realistic. The signs are too clean, too glossy, too distant. On a random note, the signs are also mostly significant only to those already in the institution, who outside would know that they are part of the school architecture? Then again, maybe that was a good way for the campaign to build up the rapport from within the school and not just be outward orientated.

To those contemplating admission…
I guess to sum up, I hope that if you are “different” in terms of what you have to offer to your future counterparts in school, you will come. Don’t expect mere admission into an institution to give you that differential edge. The sooner you realize that the world does not owe you anything, the sooner you can change your strategies towards getting what you aspire towards in life. And the good thing about it is, there are now multiple channels open to you (that are also less socially stigmatized).

To the graduated/graduating…
It is myopic to say that this issue does not concern you, just because you are graduating. In some ways, you are affected by the current cohort in school. You should be very concerned about the kind of people that your alma mater is accepting. It’s heartening to see the Student Association asking if seniors should be invovled in the admission process. This concept has was what they envisioned for the LCKSP program, I wonder if it would be possible school-wide.

There you go. I couldn’t be there physically to help out, but at the end of the day, I am thankful for my institution for shaping me into who I have become today.

Be Great.
So yes to being different, even though I still cringe slightly when people talk about it.

But even more so to being great. Some of the most amazing people around still haven’t got a clue about what they would be doing in 5 years time, but they are great at what they do currently and they continue to strive for this.

Focus not so much on being different (it is possible to be different in a wrong way), just take the time to find out what you excel in, and simply, be great at doing that.

Live or merely exist; the choice is yours.

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05th Sep2008

Youth Marketing Forum 2008 – 2Ps:Passion and Presentation

by Dorothy

I was at Day 2 of the Youth Marketing Forum 2008 at Dragonfly on Wednesday, along with Amelia, as part of the youth panel for the interactive breakout session, and a big shout out to Prof Mark Chong for putting our names through for the panel! I suppose many of you are now expecting a post on the hottest trends in youth marketing. I will get around to the cool highlights of the Forum but first, I just want to make some points about the presentations that I witnessed.

As the day went on, it became increasingly apparent that there was a chasm between the quality of the various presentations going on.
There were several categories of presentations that I could detect.
Awesome content + Awesome presenters = Always a joy to watch and learn!
Moderate content + Awesome presenters = Still bearable.
Moderate content + terrible presenters = EPIC FAIL.

How (not) to give a presentation:

  • Sit down and drone on and on about your content.
  • ‘Talk down’ to your audience
  • Read your slides word for word.
  • Read your slides word for word + monotonous android voice.

I think that our local presenters have a long way to go before we can catch up with our other counterparts who are clearly more adept at managing their stage presence and engaging the audience. Nevertheless, I do believe this might be a generational issue as well- the more youthful presenters let their personalities shine through on stage and were a welcome relief from overwhelmingly monotonous deliveries.

This thought just struck me. How many of the presenters were talking about something that they truly believed in, and not just something they had been a part of under the guise of work, or worse, not even been a part of because the work had been done by colleagues?

I am going to post this video of Clinton’s speech at the Democratic Convention, that I found off this post, entitled “Fantastic public speaking“.

Let’s ignore the politics for a while. The main point about Clinton’s speech was that it was touted as the one in which she finally “won people over” without trying to win them over. In other words, they finally could connect and believe in the message that she was bringing across. Some background info: there had been previous issues about Clinton apparently being confusing in her stance, and that translating to a lack of believability while the primaries were going on earlier this year.

It occured to me that a few of the presenters at the marketing conference hardly seemed to care whether or not they were coming across as believable. They were saying the words, but their body language spoke otherwise. They were talking about the ‘cool’ widgets, youth initiatives that their companies were going to implement and invest in. I will take that leap of faith and assume the initiatives were meant to excite people our generation. I saw none that I, nor the other youth panelists sitting around, would have liked to engage in. At one point, it seemed that there was more energy coming from the youths sitting at the back than on stage.

Presenting is not just standing up on stage and delivering the lines you have to, and scurrying off. Trust me, the audience can feel it. It is about sharing, it is about engaging, it is about telling people about something that you have to make your audience believe in. It is about sincerity.

The great presentations that I heard combined the evergreen elements of success in presenting – great sense of humour, great case studies, intelligent points and of course, passion for their subject. My favourite presenters for the day include Rob Campbell and his talk about An Inconvenient Lie, Ban Yinh Kheow from Stickfas, and Graham Perkins who shared about the i in Apple.

A great presentation energizes you like a refreshing drink after a long, tiring run. It wakes your mind up ; it makes you start to think. And question. Some times, it is not even what you present directly that is of the greatest value, but simply because you were able to use what you had just heard to springboard to other ideas.

…more on the forum (and other topics that came up) next!

22nd Sep2007

Troy (Chin)

by Dorothy

So about the most inspirational thing that happened all week for me was being able to listen to Troy Chin , who had dabbled in everything from communications and finance the NYC music industry and is now back in SG working on his comic (!!).

And I guess I was rather (pleasantly) astounded at the flip side of life in NYC that he talked about. Especially appealing was that the city embraced all sides of living. The one that we all know is that the City Never Sleeps. ( but you don’t have to be in New York to do that, just ask any undergrad at SMU. hoho). No, what really caught my fancy was the quiet aspect of life that one could choose to subscribe to as well. Now that really floats my boat.

I think there is nothing more perfect than having the chance to work purely from home, coming out only if neccessary to negotiate. and having the time to think..think.. and create. That would be just heavenly.

And of course the other juicy glam tidbits about the NYC music industry. And the debate about talent ( will it ever end? ) I love the constant jibs about the no lifer IBs… but I think, to each his own! Some people just like to accumulate possessions for the heck of it, rather than for their own personal consumption, and who are you to judge them for it? Even worse is when you laugh at them but secretly wish you had shitloads of money…so you can do the things you want? Get real. Most likely the drive for money would end up controlling you, rather than you controlling the money. tough, isn’t it? :) such is life.

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