I often wonder how long it will take to get to this. Having returned to university after a near enough 18 month absence, I was staggered to see how campus based marketing has clicked through the gears. Indeed, the central canteen/recreation area is beginning to resemble the main strip in Faliraki as opposed to an area where academics can give their grey matter a well-deserved rest. Virgin Media, hotpant sporting promotional girls, even Kingsmill were pushing their brand last week. It's always been there I know and maybe I embraced it as a fresher, but now as a cynical fourth year I'm not so forgiving. However, beneath what is increasingly looking like a rant, I'm trying to make a valid point.
Where will this marketing activity end? Surely we as students sign up for university courses to further ourselves, to study areas of academia that interest us? At what point do we agree to be courted by anybody who knows how to set up a promotional stand. With online learning becoming central to may university courses, and independent learning constantly being pushed as the key to success, whose to say that campus marketing may lead to a further erosion of traditional campus teaching, with students opting out of running the promotional gauntlet. Were we ever given a box that said "Please tick here if you don't wish to receive further information about our products and services in the Bournemouth area"?.
In essence, I think times have changed and being a student in 2008 is hugely different to being a student in even 1998. Higher education is now a marketplace as opposed to being something more akin to a public service and marketisation is safely encossed within the components of the university dynamic. Anybody who signs up for a course from now on will undoubtedley have a fantastic life experience and will enjoy studying what truly interests them, but they will also be just another consumer in the marketplace, whose pound is as good as the next person's, and I really don't forsee how this can ever change now.
What I'm asking really is is this a good thing? Are you happy to receive information about the latest deals, after all as a student you'll never be worse off, you're always looking to save a few quid. Or, as in my case, is this presence a constant vex for you, do you just want to get to your lecture on time without these distractions and find it hard to engage with Dave from Virgin telling you he can "cut you a deal" on broadband or Holly from Walkabout offering you 6 shots for a pound and naming rights to her first child?
All comments welcome!
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4 comments:
Good blog! Dave is a bit of a legend though, he sorted me out!
Very good view point Ryan. When I was at uni, there were still things called "grants" and "bursaries". A student loan was for the person that wanted to buy a first copy of 2000AD (ask your Dad / older brother).
It seems that education has now been consumed by the money-making machine that drives Britain. The only thing that is going to cause this to do a U-turn is a dynamic shift in the Government and possibly a public backlash(doubtful).
University is a place for learning, discovering a bit more about yourself and forging friendships and possibly a career path - not getting a good deal on broadband! One good thing about all this is that Dave from Virgin Media will probably be laid off soon as, yes, you guessed it, Virgin are axing jobs to make themselves more profitable!
I agree with you Ryan, it does annoy me when you're just trying to get to your lecture and you get stopped a million times on the way! I nearly shouted at that dude from Virgin the other day when he asked me for the 5th time in one day if I wanted to sort out my broadband! I'VE ALREADY DONE IT!fahck!ha I guess that's just how things are now, wherever you go you get people trying to sell you their product and in such a competitive environment I guess they have to try and sell it some how and students seem to be seen as an easy target! Mind you, I didn't mind the free crumpet that I was given the other day! lol
Good effort on the blog Ry! Its a shame the Students Union allow this to happen. Although saying this they do it themselves by promoting The Old Firestation and Nerve Media etc.
Other Soph has a valid point to make though.... the KingsMill muffin went down a treat...
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