"There are hundreds of
colleges and universities out there. How do I choose the one which
is just right for me?"
asks Ramila Shrestha.
This is probably the most common lament
you hear from secondary school students today.
With literally hundreds of private
colleges and foreign universities offering thousands of courses,
it’s probably a miracle that anyone finds the college or
university
which is just right for them. Institutions with huge advertising
budgets fill our national newspapers every day, in the hope of
catching your eye. Marketing representatives go on recruitment
drives to meet students and parents. Glossy brochures and thick
prospectuses are distributed liberally. Students have to plough
through all these before making their decisions. No wonder they are
confused. There’s an information overload out there!
Here
are some very important points that will help you to choose the
right college.
Academic Excellence
Just because a college advertises 100% pass
and distinction in its final year students does not necessarily mean
it is an excellent college. Instead find out if there are enough
opportunities for developing good quality communication skills like
library research, project reports and prepare presentations for
seminars. Also whether the college invites person of influence from
respective fields to give talks in the college.All these factors
contribute in a student's over all development.
Information Technology Integration
The importance of information technology is
quite evident. Find out whether the college provides the relevant
computer course in their curriculum. Most of the colleges tie up
with a computer institute to conduct classes in the college. The
institute should be reputed and recognised. Also find out the
computer-student ratio. A good course will have a 2:1
computer-student ratio. The course taught should give the student a
head start and the skills required should be useful to him.
Extra-curricular Activities
Activities such as sports, games, dance, singing, dramatics etc. come under extra curricular activities.The
playground should be spacious, the physical trainer should be
qualified and there should be proper sports equipment available in
the college. Most colleges have Sports Day and Annual Day
celebrations. Participating in such activities gives a student a
chance to explore his vocation. When a student participates in such
activities he also develops leadership skills and other skills
required to work in a group in coordination.
Co-curricular Activities
Activities that directly or indirectly
support the curriculum such as presenting a seminar, debates,
quizzing and dramatic helps a student in understanding and
developing his skill in the related subjects. Many colleges have
links with international colleges and have students exchange
program, through which a student could benefit as a world citizen.
Scholarships and awards given by the colleges also makes a student to
perform his/her best.
At this stage we should also determine
whether the cost of educating which provides
all these facilities is worth it or not. The investment should meet
your expectations.
Colleges Infrastructure
The college should preferably close to your
residence.The playground and the classrooms should be spacious and
clean.The Library should be well stocked with relevant books and
Periodicals.The science Labs should be well equipped and ventilated.
Qualification and Performance of the
Teachers
The last but not the least, the teachers should
be well qualified to teach the students. Never conclude
a teacher is excellent just because students in her/his
class secure high marks. The extent to which the students
successfully employ that knowledge in problem solving is
an indicator of instructional excellence. The teachers should
take the students out of the classroom to show how concepts
taught to them in class works in the daily life. He/She
should be qualified in respective fields and does upgrade
his knowledge with time.
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