Summary
Students in Singapore have high anxiety levels over poor grades and inability to solve tasks in school. The inefficiency of daily commute during the morning peak hour adds on to their pressure. Therefore, we aim to better the welfare of students by providing alternative travel options, in relation to reducing the stress levels.
01 / The Problem
Based on a study conducted on 5,825 students from Singapore's public schools, it is revealed that Singaporean students suffer from high levels of anxiety. 86% of the students are stressed over poor grades or the inability to solve a task at school. This is the resultant of stress placed on a student to excel and perform well by parents, teachers, and peers. However, apart from the stress from school work, the inefficiency of daily commute during the morning peak hour adds on to the stress.
02 / Considered Solution
The proposed solutions aim to reduce time and cost, helping students get to class on time, avoiding the mental and physical stress resulting from poor attendance and grades.
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1. SIM can offer free shuttle bus services at the far ends of Singapore (e.g. Tampines, Sengkang, Woodlands, Choa Chu Kang) and at the nearest train stations, King Albert Park and Dover.
2. We can collaborate with Ofo Bike to install bicycle parking areas at the nearest train station, King Albert Park and within SIM, for students to cycle to school.
3. We can implement a carpooling system for students with shared schedules and departure locations.
4. SIM can consider changing the timings for morning classes to avoid the morning crowd.
Another solution we considered was students waking up earlier to avoid the morning crowd. This option would require students to wake up very early to avoid peak hours and wait for lessons to begin. Since peak hour begins the same everywhere, students who live far away from school will have to wake up extremely early. Therefore, it is not optimum as it may add on to the students' stress.
03 / Final Solution
SIMcommute
From the survey results we conducted, 55.2% of the students prefer carpooling while 24.1% prefers shuttle bus services. Therefore, we will focus on these two solutions.
Our Target Audience
The main target audiences are students studying in SIM. The student body in SIM comprises mostly of millennials aged between 18 to 30 years old. Millennials are highly technology-dependent and avid users of mobile and internet technology.
Based on a research conducted in Singapore during February on the impact of digital devices on people, the results show that millennials spend most of their waking hours on digital devices; an average of 12 hours 42 minutes daily. Furthermore, 7 out of 10 people in Singapore use social media on their digital devices. Therefore, it is essential to capture the target audiences' attention online since they spend most of their time there.
Based on a TNS global study last year, it is revealed that 85% of the youths aged between 16 to 24 years old actively use Instagram. Therefore, to reach out and interact with the target audiences, an Instagram account will be utilized. Posters will be posted on the project's Instagram account to spread awareness of the solutions - Carpool, shuttle buses services.
Other than Instagram, a booth will be set up at SIM Block B basement (where most events are held at) to raise awareness of proposed services and promote downloads of SIMcommute. The face-to-face interaction will allow a live demo to use the application and allow for target audiences to clarify any queries.
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The secondary audiences are the stakeholders involved in making the solutions work - Grab and SIM's management team. To get drivers for the carpool, the team will collaborate with Grab to cater to the specialized route and standard fees for SIM students. To fund the shuttle buses for the students, the team will pitch the idea to the SIM management staff.
04 / Our Project Outcome
Learn the underlying reasons behind stress and anxiety students in Singapore faces
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It is important to understand the underlying stressors that cause these issues before delving into the solutions.
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Critically think through multiple solutions
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The brainstorming of multiple solutions ensured the coverage of as many angles as possible to tackle the problem. It was key to find where the positives of several proposed solutions intersected.
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How education institutions can improve student-life
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Feasibility of solution would have to be within the capacity of the educational institution where student welfare is concerned.
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To aid in student's general well-being
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Solutions considered must circle back to our main goal of improving students well-being and alleviating the pressure on them.
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Open a dialogue on student welfare
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Due to the common perspective that an adolescent's problem is usually trivial and insignificant, this project aims to open a dialogue about the stress on students. Several cases of students in Singapore committing suicide due to a bad grade shows there is a deeper problem at stake.
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