After SLC

The Right Course


Many students do not realize that choosing the right course to study is just as important as getting the right job. Most of them are greatly influenced by their friends' choice and thus make the mistake of following their friends' choices to enroll in the same course to be with their friends. Sure, it would be fun to study with your friends but in the long run, it is the course and not your friends, which is important in determining your future.
On the other hand, there are some students who are so confused by the choices that they leave it to their parents to make the decisions. To a certain aspect, it may be right to ask your parents' decisions but you have to keep in mind that you are the one who will be studying the course, not your folks. Your parents can give you advice but you have to like the course in order to study for it. Furthermore if you have a liking for the course, you will enjoy the process of studying it.


Ambitions


Another important thing is to make a note of your ambitions before you pick a course. If you have always wanted to be a doctor you should follow your dream and study medicine and not enroll yourself in an engineering faculty just because your friends are all going to be engineers. The best thing is that you should have a long-term goal in your mind about what job would you like to do after you graduate.


Prospect
The choice of course should also depend on the factor of whether the course will be useful to you when you graduate. You could survey around about the course from the previous graduates. Check with the lecturers about the subjects and most importantly find out if the course is recognized globally. You wouldn't want to enroll in a new course, which is not known at all in the industry. I'm sure you would want to use those skills you picked up in the course when you go out to work, so do investigate and know about the course before you enroll.


Skills
Another factor, which aids in your choice of course is your skills. If you are weak in Mathematics, you should know that a course which would require you to be a whiz in that subject could spell trouble for you. Know your strengths. If you are good in English and have always fancied yourself as an English teacher, how about taking up the course that would allow you to specialize in English?


Misconceptions
Some students tend to pick courses which they feel are easier and shorter. For example, your pal could say that the engineering course is too tough and that it is relatively longer than the business course. Hearing that, you decide to take his advice and pick the business course over the engineering course. This is one mistake that you will be doing. Your choice of course should rely on your interest and ability and not on whether the course is short or easy.


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.