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Soon, there will be the last call, then exams, the graduation, and exams again. Despite the fact that every year, admission conditions and rules for higher educational institutions are changing, the main issue for undergraduates does not modification – how to choose the right university?
Education is an investment in your own future or your child’s future. That is why today more and more students are thinking about getting an education in one of the foreign universities.
This is quite normal because such specialists will be needed in the realities of their own country and also abroad. The main thing, in this case, is to choose the right university or college and to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the education system in others countries.
Choosing the University: the main statistics
Experience shows that the majority of students choose the university unintentionally: as a chance to be with his/hers friend, on their parents or relatives advice. As a result, more than half of colleges and universities graduates are not working in their chosen specialty. But the majority of students are seeking to get the diploma not just for “crisp” as such, but to succeed in their future profession. That is why it is so important not to be mistaken with the university/college choice.
As the results of research shown, the process of college or university choosing often begins 1-2 years before the date of receipt (42% of respondents gave such answers). 20% if which start to choose their university/college for half a year, 17% – less than six months before the receipt date, 13% over 2-3 years. The final decision is also more often (in 29% of cases) adopted earlier than a year before. However, 20% of students have finally determined just at the moment of admission. More than the half of all undergraduates (57%) try to act in several universities at the same time, 20% comes first in one institution, and in the case of failure – in the other. 23% oriented to flow in only one school. In the case of failure in exams 62% of the respondents are attempting to enroll in another school, 18% – in the other direction at the same university, 9% indicated that they will act in the same university a year later.
Should we trust the ratings?
In foreign practice indicators of the university or college’s prestige and attractiveness are traditionally rankings. They allow you to focus on the specific facts, but not just on the advertising or opinions of universities representatives.
To guide yourself by the rating of International universities before admission has not yet become a common practice among undergraduates. This is largely due to the fact that existing rankings are composed of completely different criteria. In addition, there are single official universities rankings (both public and private) in the world and separate in every developed country which everyone can find on the Internet. Graduates’ salaries and employment after college are two the most illustrative ranks/criteria by which simply every second student should.
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Choosing the university: Practical Advice.
Let’s look at what we should pay attention to choosing an educational institution, what sort of information will be important for you:
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- Visit the University Open Days. As a rule, they are held several times in April and May, sometimes in June. At this time, the institution is the most informatively open, meetings are held with the institute/university leadership, all audiences are opened. You can walk through the university walls, feel its atmosphere and determine whether it would be desirable to learn in for many years. It is necessary to talk with lecturers and tutors, ask them for a training program. You should also to explore a variety of information stands. There are also, during the Open Day, a lot of information about sports clubs, the cultural life of the Institute, which are also important for the learning process in this or that college or university. Finally, you can ask about where the graduates are held after university graduation, because, as a rule, most educational institutions keep such statistics for free;
- Check out the University website. At present times, almost all universities and colleges have their own Internet site, which houses a lot of useful information. There are different training programs, and timetables, and the lecturer’s list, where are their names, experience, and qualification. There are presented detailed rules for admission to this educational institution in the university web page: what documents must be submitted, which exams will be passed, what is the process of college admission;
- Search for forums and chat rooms where students communicate about the university, where students express their opinions about it, about the studying process there, about popular subjects, about the lecturer’s attitude to the students. At these forums, you can find a variety of sometimes contradictory information, but they are interesting because you can draw your own conclusions and ask questions;
- Gather all the information about the educational institution, which you can find. These leaflets and handbooks issued by the university, and reference information, which is indicated on a given institution on the Internet and in other directories for entering universities. This sample of the work that students do in the university, and collections of problems they solve, as well as samples of last year’s entrance examinations, tests and proposed tasks. This will determine the required level of high school and compared with their level of training;
- Take a talk to someone who is already a university student, who is already studying at this university. The best of all you should ask the students of 3-4 year courses who have already studied in this education institution to give a comprehensive description. As a rule, rarely one of them refuses to talk about their university/college and if you have any time to talk with him over a cup of coffee, then you get a lot of informal communication.
- Visit the educational exhibition. Such exhibitions are often held, especially on the eve of universities admission. Trade shows are convenient in that they present a lot of universities/colleges, it is possible to come to one, then to another booth and talk with representatives of the institution, take a different background information and booklets. You can have whole day just to get a lot of diverse information, which makes it easier to draw final conclusions;
- Read the documents about educational services pavement. Find out the cost of tuition and the payment schedule. The possibility to pay by installments and by the educational services through a bank or a payment terminal will be a nice bonus.
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So, in order to understand yourselves, your desires and, what is the most importantly, opportunities, try to draw up a rough answers list to the following questions:
1. In what am I good in?
Make a summary table in two columns to start with. In one column write down your positive qualities, desires, abilities and talents that can be useful in a future profession, and in another something that will bother you.
2. What achievement I’d like to achieve?
The solution to this issue can also help you to make a choice and decide on a profession. Would you like to dedicate your whole life for career growth and capital accumulation, or you dream of a happy family? Would you like to receive pleasure from your work or you want the glory? And if you want to succeed in show business, whether you need an education in law?
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3. How much money I need to pay?
Think about your financial condition. Are you or your parents ready to pay such amount of money for that prestigious university in the capital of the road? Can you count on your abilities, and are you sure to enroll in the budget form of training? If not, perhaps now is the best time to think about the preparation with tutors? How much will you manage your campaign to enroll in the selected university (college), taking into account all costs?
4. In What country or city I’d like to study in?
If you have a desire to study away from home, please, try your strength and capabilities. But do not forget that there should always be a backup plan! The place of studying can be selected according to different criteria;
5. Where exactly I want to undergraduate?
If you followed our advice, you have already known about the passion area where you want to realize yourself, know your abilities, have chosen a country or a city for studying, is likely to find the right university and even the department. Now contrast the obtained data, find out more about you interesting professions and select the most viable option;
6. Can I find then a suitable job?
Many people prefer to keep silent on this point, but nevertheless, it is one of the most important when you are choosing a university. Economists are now produced almost in all universities, and whether you can then easy and without any problems find the job on your specialty?
7. Look into the future
Answering the question “how to choose the right university”, try to look into the future. Whether will be your specialty in demand in 5 years? Nowadays, everything is changing so fast and if the surgeon profession will always be in demand, it is quite possible that the profession of usability-specialist not be claimed in a few years.
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