I saw an ad today on the bus (yes, the bus - I hate it, but it's cheap).  The ad said something along the lines of, "That record deal is harder to get than you think."  Following this oh so encouraging bubble burster, the College slogan comes,  "Dreams are good.  College is better."

 

I sat stunned.

 

(I think I always look a little stunned on the bus - I get on it at 5:55am)

 

It is not lost on me that this is a simple marketing campaign and that the people who wrote it and signed off on it probably didn't really think about the fullness of what they were saying with and ad like this, but at the same time, I'm surprised to see that a college, would make a distinction like this.  A college or a post secondary institution seems to me to be a place where people can learn to make their dreams reality but getting the skills and knowledge they need to do so. 

 

Why make an ad that basically says that there are dreams and then there is college, but they don't go together?  It seems really dumb to me.  In a funny way, it almost seems like it's saying, "Instead of thinking about what you want, just come to college." or "Stop thinking.  Come to college."  Profound, is it not?  Can we say "to think" is "to dream"?  Why not instead use and ad to make the point that a good education can make dreams come true?

 

As I'm typing that, I'm not even sure I believe that's true.  How many stories have I heard about people going to post secondary school and coming away feeling as though their degree/diploma or whatever is not quite what they really wanted after all?  And what about these stats you hear where people are only in a career for an average of 5 years now?  Does that mean you need to re-train every 5 years?  Ouch.  That's a lot of school.  Double ouch!  That's a LOT of tuition for the schools.  And what about the guy who's TRULY happy delivering mail everyday?  Is he pursuing a dream to deliver mail, or did he simply stumble on something that worked for him?

 

I don't like it.  I don't like how society sways the young to post secondary just for the sake of post secondary.  Ignore your dreams and just sign up.  Get to school or else you might...not...  What it really wants to do is say, "Don't get lost in the decision of what to do and end up doing nothing and having regrets about not at least trying to pursue one of your dreams."

 

I guess it's just another case of society trying to tell us what happiness is and how we can get it, when really that question is better answered through a good look at yourself and what makes you smile.

 

The Red Deer College ad campaign: http://www.rdc.ab.ca/news_and_events/NE_Data/20080421033411.html