Posted by Maria Dimitrova

Read this if: You at a crossroads over which universities to apply for or which one to enroll in after being accepted in several universities

Gain: A sensible approach to taking this important decision

After you’ve made your decision about what subject to study, you” need to choose the right university for you. It is a very important decision too as it will determine what knowledge and skills you will gain in the selected area, the career opportunities it will provide you with, the social connections you are going to establish during your student years and how comfortable you will feel in this place.

The issues you should consider:

• Do you want to study in your home country or abroad? Studying abroad is an invaluable opportunity for cultural enrichment, learning independence in an unknown environment (skills and experience that will be appreciated by employers later and useful in your life in general), making new friends and enjoying the thrill of adventure.
• Online Uni or brick and mortar uni. Online university education gives you more freedom and an opportunity to work full-time as well as saving money on accommodation, but it deprives you of the lively social life a brick and mortar uni will offer. If you’re an auditory learner and you do best sitting side by side with someone who can help you, then online learning is not likely a good choice for you. At best, you will be speaking to someone on the phone. At worst, you may get emails offering advice or no assistance whatsoever. If you’ve decided on an online education, make sure that the school and program you choose has been granted regional accreditation. Check to see if you’re required to take rudimentary courses regardless of ability. It can be equally frustrating to pay for and sit through courses that you don’t really need. Not many online universities offer preparatory testing, but most local community colleges do to ensure you begin at the right level.
• The reputation and accreditation of the university. Graduation from a prestigious and internationally recognized university gives a competitive edge in the jobs market. On the other hand, there is no need to worry if you are not accepted by a well-known or prestigious university. Think about the people in your life who are happy and successful and find out where (and if) they went to university. Examples of successful and famous people without graduating from university are Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell, Henry Ford, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg ( 10 Famous People Who Didn’t Go to College). They were obviously people with creative thinking and self-confident enough to decide to become entrepreneurs and put formal education on hold.

See a ranking of the top universities in the world here: http://www.topuniversities.com/

• The syllabus. Although many universities may offer the same subject, the courses included in the syllabus might be very different. For example, you may be applying to study English and have four offers to choose from, but when you look more closely you will realize that you are actually choosing between one course that has a great number of poems and plays in its syllabus, another that examines the entire scope of English literature from medieval to the present day, another that is very contextual, and another that compares literature from all over the world. It’s important to find out how practical and applicable the courses are as you don’t want to end up wasting time on outdated knowledge or too theoretical and distant from actual work practice. Personally, I was disappointed for the same reason – although I attended the oldest and most well-known uni in my area, it turned out that the lectures were rather theoretical and later I had to learn many things from my job which I think my education should have prepared me for in advance.

• Financial support – Different universities offer different types of grants, subsidies, scholarships and varying costs of accommodation. Be realistic. Would you be better going to a university where finances are easier to handle with all the costs? Remember, worries about money could impact hugely on your university work so always take this consideration very seriously.
• Work placement or exchange programs – They are of great significance for your career development since the earlier you learn and practice your professional skills, the better. Check if the uni you’ve chosen offers them.
• Switching courses within the university or transferring credits if you decide to change universities. It’s a big advantage of a university if it offers these options as many students change their priorities during their education and discover that they want to do something different or find a uni that matches their educational needs better.
• Careers Service Centre.  Many universities offer Career Advice Centers, and although you may not consider this important at the moment, they can be invaluable when you are looking for a work placement or once you have graduated.
• Social life. A university serves several functions and one of them is making friends and contacts. Some of the contacts you establish will make your student years more enjoyable and fascinating whereas others might be beneficial for your professional development. Find out what kind of social events the university offers.

• Accommodation and facilities – Although these are not crucial factors for choosing a university, if you are wavering between two or three very similar options, putting accommodation and facilities in the equation might make the decision easier. Take into account whether you prefer a campus university, city with good nightlife or a university in a quieter area.

Sources of information:

In order to find the answer to these questions you can search information in several ways:

• Visit events like the World University Tour to get information about plenty of universities in different countries in one go. See more details about the World University Tour here:http://www.topuniversities.com/tour
• Check the website of the university you’ve liked. See if it offers Open Days which enables you to get a tour around it guided by a student.
• Read students’ reviews on a certain university in websites like this one:  http://www.studentsreview.com/CA/STFU.html where you’ll also find tips on getting in particular universities and information about social life, prices of accommodation and much more.
• Talk to  previous students of this university – you can ask a representative of the university to give you contact details of their former students

• Talk to current students of the university – go to the campus and don’t be afraid to ask students about their opinion. Most people feel flattered when their opinion matters to someone and are eager to help. Ask them whether they would choose the same uni if they had the chance to turn back time.

Gathering personal opinions is useful but if you feel lost in the labyrinth of contradictory information (as people are different and they are likely to give you various views on the same issue), you should definitely take into account your gut feeling while making a tour around universities. You may notice something extremely attractive or off-putting about a place without being able to name it.