How to choose the right university or college to study at

How to choose the right university or college to study at

So, you’ve made the decision to study after school. Now you’re faced with another decision: Where to study. Remember, all learning institutions have a registration cut-off so you need to make sure you apply in time.

Universities specifically close off their registrations in September/October so you will need to apply while still in Matric.

Here are some guidelines to help you make an informed decision:

1. Step 1: Find out which degree or course you need to do in order to be able to follow your dream career. For example, to study finance, you can do a BCOM degree or get a diploma through various colleges. Ask your teachers to guide you and do some online research. Visit the websites of the universities or colleges you’re interested in and then also do a broad search on Google. To do a broad search, open google.co.za and type in the search bar: ‘Where to study [teaching for example] in South Africa. Then click on the search results and read up what your options are.
2. Step 2: Ask for a brochure on the course you’re interested in from the colleges and universities near you. If you’re set on going to university, you can look at universities further afield as well. There may be a chance that you won’t get into the nearest university because there are too many applicants so it’s good to apply to as many universities as you can, as long as you’re willing to travel and can afford it. This wouldn’t be necessary for colleges unless you’re applying to a specialised college, like the South African Wildlife College.
3. Step 3: Analyse the costs and information, and create a shortlist of the institutions you will apply to. Costs for universities and colleges vary substantially so study what they offer versus what they charge. For example, University of Cape Town is more expensive than the others in most courses. While the University of Pretoria is the least expensive in most courses. As a ballpark figure, it could cost you around R40,000 per year to study at university and if you stay at a res, it’s around another R30,000 per year. UNISA is much cheaper at around R16,000 per year and they also offer advanced certificates and diplomas, besides degrees like normal universities. Colleges vary substantially depending on which course you take and which institution you go with. Certificate courses (these are shorter courses, generally a year long) are less expensive than diploma courses which tend to run over three years.
4. Step 4: Apply to the universities you’re interested in. If you choose to study at a college, only apply to the one you’re most keen on and only if they decline your application (if they’re too full), then apply to the next. The reason for this is you will need to pay a deposit when you apply and while it’s worth it for university (because there’s less of them), it’s generally not worth it for colleges. Make sure you register on time, otherwise you may have to pay a penalty, or worse, not get in.
5. Step 5: Follow up with the institution if you haven’t heard from them by the time stipulated on their application form. They will either let you know whether you’ve been accepted, you’re on a waiting list or your application has been declined and the reason for it.

The more research you put into choosing the right university or college, the better off you’ll be once you start your academic journey. Start this research early – in grade 11 or early in grade 12 – so that you have all the information you need to choose the university that’s right for you.