Cracking the perfect college code : The Tribune India

Join Whatsapp Channel

How to select the right institute

Cracking the perfect college code

With cut-offs rising above 97 per cent is it surprising that many students are wondering if they will ever get into a college at all? With a limited number of top-quality institutions and inadequate seats, more often than not it is the colleges that choose the students rather than the other way round.

Cracking the perfect college code


Usha Albuquerque

With cut-offs rising above 97 per cent is it surprising that many students are wondering if they will ever get into a college at all? With a limited number of top-quality institutions and inadequate seats, more often than not it is the colleges that choose the students rather than the other way round. So college admission time is a period of high anxiety, agonising tension, complicated application processes that often leave students and parents in a state of acute stress. 

Going to college is much more than just preparing yourself for a career. Keep in mind that the three-four years that you spend in college studying a professional course, or a degree in arts, commerce or science are also important for your overall growth and development as a person. All the more reason to make your choice an informed one. 

Many students believe that going to a particular college will enable them to secure a good job. Campus placements are better at some institutions, the college name carries weight - all important factors. But this is still only one of many factors that will shape your career path. 

Employers do not pay a premium just because you are from a particular college. Employers are more interested in the course result and transferable skills that you have gained. These skills include communication, teamwork, time management, commercial awareness, planning & organising, problem solving, leadership and flexibility and so on. A good college boasts of a good faculty, adapts new teaching methodology with the changing times and provides the environment and opportunity for students to grow.  

So how should you select a suitable college? What factors should you keep in mind when choosing a good college?

‘Extra effect’

Academics may be the main point of college, but the majority of your time won't be spent in classes. There are many other factors that will impact your life and the kind of future you plan for. You need to, therefore, look for colleges that will give you an opportunity to explore and develop your interests further within the context of a well-rounded curriculum. Most colleges have a range of co-curricular activities, clubs and associations, sporting activities, competitive events, seminars and workshops with subject experts and leaders.  

Personal visit

Try to visit each of your short listed colleges. Attending college open days will give you the opportunity to tour the campus, see the classrooms and lecture halls, sporting facilities, hostel accommodation etc. You may even be able to meet the lecturers and students and ask questions about the college, various clubs and activities on offer and the destination of graduates from that institute. Walking around the college campus can also give you a feel of the general atmosphere and give you a pretty good idea of how you could fit into this environment. 

Placement record

Much of a college's reputation and credibility is based on campus placements and so it is worth examining this feature. The number of students getting placed each year and the companies that come over for recruitment, will give you a fair idea about the college's reputation. 

Location

Choosing a college according to location is another crucial factor. Being a new college student can be isolating and scary initially, especially if you're an introvert. You may want to be able to come home from time to time and see some familiar faces.  

Govt vs Private

We need to start out by changing a somewhat traditional point of view that labels all government institutions as academically superior, and all private institutions as suspicious and money making ventures. There are some excellent private universities that have come up in the last decade that provide high quality programmes, and many government colleges whose standards leave much to be desired. Thousands of students from across the country come flocking to Delhi University, which being a Central university admits students on an all-India basis, but it is not always possible to get a seat. However, if you are willing to move to another city, there are many other good government universities you can apply to for admission where the cut-offs may not be so high. State Universities such as those in Mumbai, Pune, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Chennai, and many others reserve 15 per cent of seats for students from other states. 

Accreditations

As all institutions of higher learning have to be recognised by University Grants Comission (UGC), it is best to check the credentials and recognition of the institution before you join. Today there are organisations such as the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) that assess and accredit institutions of higher education in India. The accreditation scores are based on an objective assessment of the status of an institute, depending upon its teaching, research, curriculum, teaching-learning processes, infrastructure and many other aspects that are taken into consideration. Several private institutions/ deemed universities have been able to maintain high academic standards and have earned the NAAC accreditation. They also boast of a wide array of programmes, good academic standards, excellent up-to-date facilities and infrastructure. So it is worth checking out options offered by some of these institutions.

College or no college!

And if you are unable to get into a regular college? Not to worry. You can still get a good college education from any of the open learning programmes of universities. These courses provide students with course materials, and often contact classes at regional centres that make it easy for candidates to get the degree they had always dreamed of. What's more, your degree certificate will remain the same as that of the regular student. 


Reality check

Also check out the entry requirements for the course you have selected. Are the cut-offs within your range? Some courses require specific grades/ marks in certain subjects? Most Delhi University colleges require BCom ( H) students  to have done maths, and count these marks in the best of four. Other universities do not have such a requirement. Students from the science stream applying for commerce subjects may lose a couple of percentage points, in Delhi University. Some colleges will give extra weightage to specific subjects for certain courses. Also some points are given for extracurricular activities or sports if you have participated in state or national level competitive events. All such relevant information must be investigated when evaluating your college choices.

Assess goals

Start with an honest self-assessment of your education and career goals. Ask yourself, why am I going to college and what do I hope to gain from it? Some students are pretty clear about their choice of course and naturally seek the best college that can provide the necessary training. Whether it be engineering, medicine, architecture, law or fashion design, you know what you want to do, and work towards securing a place in the institute of your choice, or the next best. So search for a college that offers the right courses and facilities needed for the specialisation you want to take up. As is often repeated — course before college is important.

Clarity on subject combos

But if you have not yet decided on a career path, it is best to look instead at the subjects you are good at, or interested in. Sixty per cent of  job opportunities are open to graduates from any field. A simple graduation in an arts, commerce or science subject may be a good base for further study. A science student not sure of a future career choice can consider a BSc in any of the physical or life sciences, which could lead to further studies in a specialised field. For arts and commerce students a general BA  or BCom may fit the bill while they plan for a future post-graduate vocational/ professional degree or diploma in a range of career oriented courses such as  law, business management, mass communication, interior decoration, hospitality management and so on.

Top News

'When government changes...': Rahul Gandhi after Rs 1,800 crore fresh I-T notice to Congress

'When government changes...': Rahul Gandhi after Rs 1,800 crore fresh I-T notice to Congress

The Congress leader accuses the BJP of indulging in ‘tax ter...

Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in UP's Banda orders judicial inquiry into death of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari

UP court orders judicial probe into gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s death, seeks report in a month

Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari on Tuesday alleged that his brother...

‘Heart attack or poisoning’: The life and times of Mukhtar Ansari—crime and politics

‘Heart attack or poisoning’: The life and times of Mukhtar Ansari—crime and politics

Eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh are among the poorest regions...

CBI files chargesheet against 20 institutes, 105 individuals in Himachal Pradesh multi-crore scholarship scam

CBI files chargesheet against 20 institutes, 105 individuals in Himachal Pradesh multi-crore scholarship scam

22 educational institutions were on CBI radar in the scholar...


Cities

View All