Attending University is now a requirement to secure a good career, gone are the days when a High School diploma would guarantee a good job with prospects.
There are many Universities worldwide, offering better programmes to follow the career of your choice, the difficult part is choosing the University or programme that suits your needs and intended career path.
Planning is important and the earlier you begin your search for the programme or University the better. Many potential students make the mistake of waiting for their results before applying to the University of their choice, the sooner you apply the better your chances. So begin planning as soon as possible, many parents in the US begin planning their child’s entry to University almost as soon as they are born, although much of this has to do with cost rather than the University or career choice, some students are still paying off student loans into their 40’s and 50’s.
The earlier you apply the better, it is not necessary to wait for your final results, as most Universities will give you a conditional offer, subject to your results. So the earlier you apply, the better chance you have of being accepted at the University of your choice. For example, American students start applying in the previous November to ensure they can get the University of their choice, whilst in the UK students start applying to UCAS in January.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is a UK-based charity whose main role is providing the application process for almost all British universities. Some of UCAS services include several online application portals, a number of search tools, and free information and advice aimed at a number of key audiences, such as students considering higher education, students with pending applications to higher education institutes, parents and legal guardians of applicants and pre-applicants, school and Further Education college staff involved in helping students apply, and providers of higher education (universities and HE colleges). (From Wikipedia, 2015).
Before you decide on applying to the University of your choice, you need to have an idea of what programme you wish to study, not all Universities cover all programmes, many specialise in a particular area depending on their strengths and also decide, whether you want to study locally or further afield. Studying locally may limit your options for your choice of programme. Also which country you study in can also have an impact, for example, length of the programme, many Bachelor degree courses are 4 years, however the British system of Higher Education requires only 3 years to complete a Bachelor’s degree in most cases (dependent on the programme) this is because unlike many others the British System concentrates on the Major subjects and does not add in any Minor programmes, in effect this saves you a year of studies and tuition fees compared to other countries.
Your choice of programme is dependent on the future career path you would like to follow and from here is where you decide which University best suits your needs. For example, it is not a good choice to choose a University that excels in Sports if you want to have a Finance degree and vice versa. Look for the University’s strengths and depths read reviews and try to find students that are either finished studying or are still studying ask them questions. Go to the open days and observe the surroundings, making note of layout of campus and accommodation facilities etc.
As stated above, depending on where you study will also depend on how you apply, in general the British System requires you to apply through UCAS, this is generally the case but you can also apply directly.
Most Universities have an online application service of their own, so apply though this or alternatively visit the University of your choice on one of their open days and apply directly. Many of the universities that you will apply to will require that besides the required academic achievements that you also write a motivational letter, stating why you want to study that particular programme at their University, do not forget in some instances there will be more students applying than places available, so it must be a high caliber letter and not a 2 line sentence. After reviewing your application and motivation letter, you will be asked to come to the University to sit an entrance exam, usually this is to guide you, to ensure that you have made the right choice of programme. There are students that will apply for a Software Engineering degree but will not have a background in the sciences or maths, which are a must if you want to become a programmer.
Check the full requirements needed for your subject, you will be surprised how these may vary according to the University.
Is the degree you are applying to study an internationally accredited degree? This could make a difference if you decide to pursue a Master’s Degree at another University, which may not be in the country you are currently studying, also if you are a foreign student it may not be recognized by your local authorities check before you decide, otherwise you may end up having to do additional courses for your masters because of the different methods of validation in each country, check to see the learning outcomes are they of an International standard. Does your education Authority recognize the origin of the Degree, this is of great importance depending if you wish to pursue a career in the public sector or private sector.
For example, all British degrees must come under the umbrella of the QAA (Quality Assurance Agency)
- The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education(QAA) is an independent agency in the United Kingdom established to safeguard standards and improve the quality of UK higher education.[1] Established in 1997 through the transfer of functions and staff from the former Higher Education Quality Council and the quality assessment divisions of HEFCE and HEFCW, this independent agency works to ensure that higher education qualifications in the United Kingdom (UK) are of a sound standard and quality. It checks how universities and colleges maintain their academic standards and quality and, to support this work, develops guidance in cooperation with the higher education sector, principal among which is the UK Quality Code for Higher Education (Quality Code).[QAA’s main business is to conduct external peer reviews of all UK degree-awarding bodies (including universities – known as ‘recognized bodies’ as well as colleges that provide higher education programs in partnership with UK degree-awarding bodies (‘listed bodies’[4]). Since 2011 QAA has been designated by the UK government to conduct ‘educational oversight’ of unlisted higher education providers wishing to become ‘highly trusted sponsors’ entitled to recruit overseas students under UK Tier 4 regulations.[5]Similarly, since 2013, QAA conducts reviews of the management of individual courses that receive public funding, where these courses are not provided by recognised or listed bodies and the providers have not undergone a separate educational oversight review.
- QAA is the body entrusted with advising the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, via government ministers, on which institutions should be granted degree awarding powers and the right to be called a university. QAA also regulates the Access to Higher Education Diploma,[6]a qualification that enables individuals without A Levels or the usual equivalent to enter higher education. It does this by reviewing and monitoring the Access Validating Agencies that award the Diploma. (From Wikipedia, 2015)
If your choice of University is not in your own country but abroad, you must ensure that the VISA requirements are met for studying in that country, each country has a different requirement for overseas students and it is vitally important that you complete the process only after you have received confirmation from the University of an Acceptance letter, this is different to a Conditional offer, this is the document that will be the major part of your application for a VISA to so study.
Ensure that you follow the VISA exactly, the biggest mistake many students make is in regard to their Bank statements, most VISA’s require that you have sufficient funds (to cover tuition and living expenses) in your Bank account 28 WORKING days prior to your application, this is where many students make a fundamental mistake weekends are not included, this is why many applications’ states a minimum of 6 WEEKS.
Tuition fees and living expenses are 2 different amounts that you need to be aware of normally Tuition fees do NOT include living expenses these have to be calculated separately and this will depend on the local area or country where you study, be sure to research thoroughly, it is usually cheaper to find accommodation on campus rather than off campus, off campus you are subject to supply and demand of the accommodation. Tuition fees need to be clear and transparent, some University’s, for marketing purposes, only quote their fees per semester (usually stated in very small print at the foot of the webpage) you need to know the yearly cost of the course you are studying otherwise this will also impact your VISA application.
This is only a guide ensure that you do full research on every aspect of your choice, do not be fooled by Marketing literature, this is to make the University look good. A classic sign is the overabundance of statistical data, remember statistics are only as good as the information that is provided and usually this will have a bias towards the University. A good example being that many quote is that 95% of their students are either employed or continuing Further Education, it does not tell you how many are actually employed, whether they are fully employed or on an Internship. So be careful do the research and good luck.
Works Cited
From Wikipedia, t. f. e., 2015. Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. [Online]
Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_Assurance_Agency_for_Higher_Education
[Accessed 22 April 2015].
From Wikipedia, t. f. e., 2015. UCAS. [Online]
Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCAS
[Accessed 22 April 2015].
Are you just sat there waiting for the job to come to you?
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