How to choose The Right College

The Right College

"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.