Which college/ university should I choose?

Year after year, new high-school pass-outs are faced with the obstacle of finding the best college for themselves. Choosing the best college/ university for yourself, while a potentially wise investment in your future, is usually difficult for most. However, the factors listed below can assist you in making a decision regarding your dream college:-

1. What’s your preference?

The basic step is to consider your preferences when choosing a college. This primarily means to question yourself about your goals and careers as this would help you in narrowing down your search massively. You should also consult your family, friends, teachers or even a professional counsellor about colleges. If you explain them your goals and career options, they might suggest colleges that may be a good fit for you.

2. The college/university checklist

There is a plethora of colleges and universities in India which offer multi-disciplinary subjects and streams. However, all these colleges/ universities would have different facilities. For example, all BBA colleges in Mumbai would provide different facilities than all BBA colleges in Delhi or any other state in India. The quick facts which you need check off your checklist are as follows:

• Accreditation
• Academics
• Availability of course
• College Faculty
• Fees
• Location
• Placements
• Other Details (Including Campus Life, Infrastructure, Labs, Hostel, Canteen, Extra-curricular activities etc).

3. Self-assessment

After the first two steps, you would definitely be able to narrow to a dozen of colleges compared to a hundred or thousand available colleges. Start your personal research on the list of colleges you narrowed down to. You can visit the college website, blogs or social media pages. It is better if you can visit the campus and get on-field information by speaking to the faculty members, college officials, and admission officials as they are older than any student in experience and guide you the best. The students who have passed out from that particular college can also help after all; the best stories and knowledge are told by survivors!

4. Keep an open mind

It is possible that you may have a clear idea about the college you wish to study in or are crystal clear about your aims and career goals in life but after searching through all colleges it is possible that your preferences and goals may change. For the larger half of the young adults who are often not too sure about their careers it is suggested that they do a quick research as to what new trends in education, disciplinary courses, career options and subjects have emerged in current times. One can also take the help of many websites available on the internet that help you find a college of your choice simply by knowing your preferences.

In concluding, the last choice comes down to you and you alone. The ultimate decision must be yours. There is some college or university of every personal preference all you have to do is follow the above four simple steps and you would, without a doubt choose the best for yourself. All the best!