A college or university education is an investment in your future. It is giving three to five years of your life towards what you will eventually do with your life. Therefore you need to choose where you want to spend these years wisely. Here are some pointers to help you make informed decisions about the college or university you want to enrol in.

Course of choice

Before choosing a college or university, you should first know what you want to study. This would help narrow down the institutions of higher learning that are available to you. Of course this means matching your academic achievements with the course you want to pursue. When going to college you need to ensure that its academic qualifications (ie the courses they conduct) meet the conditions for admission into university later.

Check the list of universities or colleges for those that offer what you want. Then look for which ones offer the best types of courses and subjects to fulfil the requirements of the degree you want to pursue and the career you want to prepare for. Ask your teachers or working adults in the field related to your study for guidance. Which ones best meet your requirements?

Systems of choice

Each college or university will differ from one to another in variety of ways. Find out about the different academic systems or structures of programme on offer and which one you think you will be most comfortable with. For instance, some systems offer subjects or electives that last only a semester long, after which you take new subjects in the following semester. This means you don't need to worry about course work or revision during your semester breaks.

Some education systems offer more practical work than theoretical knowledge and some the other way around. Look out also for the size of the institution (ie how many students are they able to accommodate), extra curricular activities and facilities on offer. What sort of reputation does the college or university have in the workplace? Write to the college or university to get any additional information you may want or need before you shortlist.

Location

Pursuing higher education often means relocating. Can you stand being away from home? Or do you want to be as far away and as independent as possible? Sometimes having relatives or close family friends nearby may be reassuring if you have never left home before. This is one of the factors that would influence your choice of college or university.

Some students would pick one near home. Those going overseas may look for an institution in a country where relatives reside ?providing a place for them to find refuge on lonely weekends or semester breaks.

You may also want to find out more about the location of your campus. Is it going to be in the city or in a rural area far away from the metropolis? Be aware also that weather systems overseas differ greatly from our tropical one. Can you tolerate three very cold winter months in a year?

Budget

Higher education is expensive so can your parents manage the exchange rate?

Many students are now opting to pursue courses like medicine in India and Russia where the exchange rate is in our favour. However, for those who can afford it, choices abound. Meanwhile, a host of twinning programmes available through various colleges and universities give students today choices their parents never had.

Accreditation

Investigate: does the educational institution conform to a prescribed or minimum academic standard or educational quality? You can find this out by checking with the Ministry of Education in your host country by asking them if the college or university you are thinking about is accredited.

When you attend a college or university that is not accredited, you risk getting a qualification that is not recognised or acceptable. Credits from non-accredited colleges cannot be transferred to an accredited university. You should also ensure the programme you want to enroll in is professionally accredited by recognised professional and/or regulatory bodies. Those studying medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, accounting, architecture, engineering, surveying and law should especially take note of this.

Accommodation

It is best to find out as much as you can about housing arrangements before you decide on an institution of higher learning to reduce hassles later. You may want to look out for institutions that offer on-campus accommodation, especially at university, to suit your budget needs. Universities that do not offer housing usually provide help for students to locate suitable accommodation through community-based organisations set up for this purpose.

Depending on where you're going, you might want to begin your application six months before you actually begin your course. Besides, there will be lots to do like getting a medical examination and making pre-payments. As you near the deadlines for your application you can reduce your choices to three and finally the one you'll eventually go to.

This article first appeared in doctorjob's post-secondary guide

To help students cope with the new experiences and challenges of college and university, doctorjob lays down some survival tips for new students.

Set your expectations right

Only a genius or one who has a degree in daydreaming will say that college/university is a breeze! While some of the courses that you'll be taking will be familiar to you, most won't. Coupled with the challenge of being in a totally new environment with new people and faces, you will encounter difficult periods. There will be times where you’d be totally confused. You will have sleepless nights pondering how to go about a particularly difficult assignment. You will worry about a presentation which you have to make in front of 200 people. You will get lecturers from hell. When you have the right expectations of college or university, you'll be better prepared to face the challenges that will come.

Know where you are

Campuses can be huge ?so getting a map from the students?services department or the registrar's office will help you get to class on time in the first few days of your semester. Take a walk around the campus and discover for yourself where important places are like the cafeteria, computer labs, bookstore, library, clinic, lecture halls, tutorial rooms etc. Get this over with and you'll get down to enjoying campus life and the other activities that come with it. Soon you'll be bombarded with invites to attend club and society meetings and other social gatherings.

Be disciplined

You'll be left very much to your own ? buying your own books, finding your own reading materials, making your own notes etc. You determine what, when and how you study. You may need to schedule an appointment to see your lecturer or tutor. In large classes, your lecturer might not even notice when you're missing. Hence, skipping classes can be very tempting ?but do not give in! Skipping classes is detrimental to your academic health and is somewhat addictive!

Keep an open mind

Especially if you're overseas, you'll encounter many new things and experiences, like it or not. Sometimes, you need to accept certain things especially if they are part of the culture or way of life for some people. You might even need to adopt certain practices which may be totally different from your own. If you're in a foreign country, you'll enjoy your experience of studying and living in a different culture if you keep an open mind.

Keep your values

Homeaway first-timers will find themselves with the freedom to do whatever they want. While keeping an open mind is important sometimes, know what's right for you, what your values are and what your upbringing has taught you. You may need to make the effort to stay away from unhealthy influences whether or not they are a way of life for certain groups.

Get your gear ready

Whether they are important things like your textbooks and notebooks to write your notes, or even something trivial like an eraser, you need to get these ready before starting college or university. If you're given a reading list, make sure you get the books and read them before you attend class. Be prepared both mentally and physically.

Be involved

Between spectators and participants, the latter usually have the most fun. There are usually loads of activities that you can be involved in to develop communication, leadership, teamwork and other skills that are important for a well-rounded individual. Discover where your interests, strengths and weaknesses lie. Wherever possible, as long as it doesn't interfere with your studies, take part in the myriad of activities that your college or university has to offer. Besides, you don't want memories of your college or university days to be filled with things that you've seen but not experienced.

This article first appeared in doctorjob's post-secondary guide