Where to study
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Before I begin, this isn’t going to be a list of the top colleges and universities in the world to study at. This is an article to help you choose the right place of study for you, where ever you are, based on a selection of features that you should be considering.
Where are your friends going?
It doesn’t matter where your friends are going to study. This is your life and education, not theirs. I know it is difficult to say goodbye to friends who are going elsewhere but this is just a part of life and a big part of growing up. You need to choose a college or university that suits you and that you feel comfortable in. What suits one person may not necessarily suit another. You should not even consider where your friends are going and pick a place of study you want to go. And if it turns out that some of your friends have picked the same college or universities then that is great news. You will meet new people and make new friends so it’s okay if you don’t know anyone when you first start.
This also applies to choosing courses. What is the point in studying biology, even though you hate it, just because your friend is studying it?
Where is it located?
Sometimes it is not always ideal to study somewhere that is too close to home. It may seem practical as you don’t have lots of travelling and you can get home easily, but is that a good thing? If you live near to the college or university you can go home early or in your free periods. However, what are the chances of you actually doing work in this time? If you were in college or university you would feel more motivated to get the work done so you won’t have to do it at home. I am normally stuck in college as it is miles away from where I live and sometimes this is a good thing because I feel like I have that free time to get all my work done.
Travelling far away is not always a great thing though. Travelling is tiring and it can mean that you leave home in the morning very early and don’t return until much later at night. By the time you get home you can’t be bothered to do any work so you lose out on this time to work or revise.
Who will be teaching me?
A simple test: go to the open day at the college/university, talk to the teachers/lecturers and see how enthusiastic they are. If they know what they are talking about and show a real interest in the subject, then you are mostly likely to pay attention in lesson and learn from this person. If they are boring and just appear to be there for the money, then you are more likely to fall asleep in that lesson and not do so well in the subject. Choose wisely as the teacher can make all the difference.
If you are paying for the course, particularly a lot of money (e.g. University fees in the UK have gone up to £9000 a year), then you have the right to voice your opinion. If you don’t think your teacher is doing a good enough job, talk to someone about it. At the end of the day, this is your money. You wouldn’t pay for a haircut if the hairdresser chopped your hair wonky so why pay for a teacher that doesn’t turn up for lessons or doesn’t put the effort in?
What is the course all about?
The best way to find out about the course content is to look at a prospectus. Sometimes there will be a website with this information on or you may have to order a prospectus from the college or university. You should look at the following points:
- How long the course is
- The topics within the course
- How you will be assessed
- How you will be taught
- What qualifications and qualities you need to do the course
- What qualification you will come out with
- Facilities, trips and other benefits
It also pays to visit open days and talk to the teachers/lecturers and even past and present students about the course.
