Join the university of your choice

Matrics, and other high school pupils, considering tertiary education options have been urged to use the July holidays to put their plans in place.

The alternative is placing their studies and careers at risk because they couldn’t get into their first-choice institution or course.

“Popular courses and universities with excellent reputations are over-subscribed by prospective students,” said director of The Independent Institute of Education Dr Felicity Coughlan.

“There are six steps to thinking through your future study plans. The mid-year break is the ideal time to weigh your options and put concrete steps in place.”

Coughlan offered the following tips:

1. Courses and modules differ from university to university so find out about all the options.
   There have been many changes in subjects to keep up with the modern workplace and the changing economy. Compare public and private universities to see how what you study will be relevant to your planned career path.
2. Find out all the course requirements.
   Ideally, this should happen when you make your final subject choices for matric. Check that you have the subjects and marks required for your desired field of study.
3. Investigate and ask for advice.
   Speak to student advisors as well as current students themselves to find out about campus life, their experiences and the relevance of course content.
4. Create options for yourself.
   Apply to more than one institution and even across institution type. It is also better to apply for more than one qualification. Once you have your final results, your foresight will mean that you can make the best choice available.
5. Meet the deadlines.
   Several institutions have early closing dates with many offering provisional acceptance even before your matric results are published.
6. Consider the quality of education offered.
   Visit the campus if you can and find out about their pass rates, which is often a good indication of the quality of teaching, the course content, learning materials, the level of available facilities like labs and libraries and the overall condition of the campus.

Details: www.iie.ac.za