What many students don’t realise is that picking a university is equal to picking your best friend or partner. Yes, it’s that serious. Every university is different and has its own rules, vibe and culture. Finding the one right one whose standards match up to your ambition is of utmost importance. So then, just how do I figure out which school is the right school for me? or have I already chosen the right school? Well, it’s much simpler than you think. We have put together a few points that you should consider.
1. Get a feel of the school
Ghana alone has over 180 tertiary institutions for you to choose from. That’s quite impressive. Make it a point to personally visit a few schools before you even apply for them so that you can get a “feel” for them – After SHS, don’t just sleep at home and watch TV. Make arrangements to visit various universities you have an interest in even though some of them are regions apart. Here are some questions that should be running through your mind as you visit a school or if you are already in one;
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Does the school’s standard fit my ambition in life?
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Can I live here comfortably for at least 4 years?
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What makes this school unique?
2. Find your passion
The role of a school is to help bring out the best in you by giving you the knowledge and within your chose practical training within your field of study.
Knowing what you are good at is an important factor in determining the school that you end up in.
Someone who is good at fixing cars may not need a traditional university but rather a technical university which can polish up his skills and give him the required knowledge and exposure to succeed. To discover your passion, try out different things and take note of the one that comes easy to you.
3. Know what they have to offer
Some schools look great from the outside but may not have the course that you are interested in. Get more information about the courses that they have to offer and the career perspectives of those courses to see if they line up with yours. Some universities have different cut off points for similar courses so doing your research could get you admitted with ease. Get to know the various departments within the university and other internal structures so that you can have an idea of how the school functions. You can normally get course outlines from the university’s website.
4. The reputation of the school
Every school has a story and a legacy. That’s what most schools take pride in apart from the quality of their lecturers and their infrastructure. Find out if the school has been around for a while and the type of people that it has produced. Schools like KNUST, University of Ghana and Ashesi have produced great leaders of our time. Such information inspires greatness among the students of the school.
A school that produces minds which benefit the society should be the type of school that you should seek to attend.
Get to understand the philosophy of the school and what they stand for.
5. Accommodation facilities
Unless the university is located next door you will need to stay in a hostel. Some universities have hostel facilities that cater for first years but you might have to move to a private hostel off campus in your second year depending on the university that you attend. Look out for the size of the hostel room, how many people you will be sharing the room with, the utilities provided and the proximity to you lecture hall among other things when choosing a hostel.
You can easily search and book hostels online with GetRooms.
Once you find a school that you like, proceed to apply for a place in that great school. Good luck and I hope you make it into the university of your dreams! If you are already in a University, let us know if its the one you wanted, or if you are pursuing your dream course or not. It would be great to hear from you in the comments.