CultusCongratulations!
You’ve finally received those much-awaited acceptance letters from one or more of your dream institutes. Take a moment to celebrate, but if you had imagined that this was when you’d get to kick back and relax, then you have another think coming. In fact, some of the most crucial decisions affecting your future are going to be made at this stage and you wouldn’t want to regret not putting enough thought into them.
Take a moment to celebrate, but if you had imagined that this was when you’d get to kick back and relax, then you have another think coming. In fact, some of the most crucial decisions affecting your future are going to be made at this stage and you wouldn’t want to regret not putting enough thought into them.
You’ve finally received those much-awaited acceptance letters from one or more of your dream institutes. Take a moment to celebrate, but if you had imagined that this was when you’d get to kick back and relax, then you have another think coming. In fact, some of the most crucial decisions affecting your future are going to be made at this stage and you wouldn’t want to regret not putting enough thought into them.
The most important decision of all is -which university are you going to choose?
You may have already put one or two at the top of your list based on the research you did prior to applying. At this stage, throw all those assumptions out of the window and start with a clean slate. Carry out a more thorough evaluation and dig deeper to find out which university is going to be an ideal fit for you and your aspirations.
Here’s how to do just that:
Do they offer scholarships?
Are there private ones you could apply for? This guide will show you what to look for when it comes to scholarships. If all else fails, are you likely to find opportunities for part time jobs?
What is the campus like?
Perhaps you could plan a visit to the campus to see for yourself. Most universities organise an open day for different departments to facilitate this. On such occasions, talk to current students and even faculty. Otherwise, you could correspond with them online. For example, you could find out if the student body is diverse and ask how classes are conducted.
Do they offer support for your special needs, if any?
This is a crucial consideration. Perhaps you need language support or dyslexia support. Choose an institution that offers these. If not, you could opt for paid professional assistance with assignments. This option is a viable one for international students in particular who tend to struggle to express themselves in the university’s medium of instruction.
What is the quality of their intellectual output?
You’re interested in a specific department, so find out what kinds of work they’ve been publishing. Do they host seminars and conferences or participate in them? Do they have a student-run newspaper, blog, or a journal of their own?
How successful are their graduates at landing jobs?
Do they offer industry internships? This is essential to know because it has a bearing on your career post-university.
Research assistance
Some universities have a special department set up just to help international students. They recognise that while some of you might have a strong grasp on the subject, but writing impeccably structured essays might be your weakness, especially if you are an ESL student. So they have teaching assistants that help you put together your essay. Choosing a college that does not have this is not a deal breaker. There are companies that provide affordable college paper help and you can buy custom essays from them that you can use as reference essays. These companies also help with editing and proofreading your essays and help you compile it. Services like Lifesaver Essays offers extra features like contacting your writer directly in addition to giving plagiarism-free essays delivered in time. Students usually find these services helpful especially if they are juggling multiple essays at the same time.
Once you’ve made that all-important choice, you will still have some work to do. The closer you get to the actual start of term, you will have to finalise some variables like part-time work.
We know it all seems quite daunting. But look at it this way. If you leave all of this decision-making for later, you will be in no position to make an informed choice. Additionally, getting the finer details sorted out before the actual start of the term will leave you relaxed and clear-headed, ready to take the plunge on the first day of college with enthusiasm and an open mind. You will be able to hit the ground running while retaining enough energy to socialise and unwind too. A good jumpstart is a great way to fully exploit the exciting opportunity you’ve worked so hard for.
Author:
Livia Susan, Life-savers essays
