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MaketherightchoiceTheHindu

TODAY'SPAPERFEATURESEDUCATIONPLUS

May18,2015

Maketherightchoice
DR.ALBERTPRAYAN
Canyouaffordtobecarelessinchoosingacollegethatalmostdecidesyourcareer?Herearesomepointers.

Thefirststep:ManythingsyouneedtoknowaboutacollegecanbelearntbybrowsingtheInternet.Photo:ShreniKashyeb
HadIknownearlierIwould/wouldnthave,isthefirstpartofmanystatementsthatfrustratedstudentsutterafterchoosingacollege
whichdoesntsuittheirtastes,needsorrequirements.Herearesomeofthefamiliarstatementswehaveheard:HadIknownearlier,I
wouldnthavejoinedthiscollege.HadIknownearlier,IwouldhavepreferredaseatundermanagementquotainXYZcollegetoaseatby
counsellinginABCcollege.HadIknownearlier,IwouldhavedecidednottooptforXYZbranchofengineering.Insteadofwearingsmiles
ontheirfaces,somestudentsweardisappointment,bitterness,depressionanddissatisfactionasaresultofchoosingawrongcollege,andthey
continuetowearthisunpleasantlookevenaftertheyhavecompletedtheirgraduation.
Itissurprisingthatpeoplewhospendsomuchtimevisitingshowroomsandenquiringaboutdifferentbrands/typesofmobilephonesbefore
decidingtobuyaRs.10,000mobilephone,donotspendconsiderabletimebeforemakingthemajordecisionofchoosingacollegewhich
almostdecidestheircareer.
Tertiaryeducationisanimportantstageinapersonsacademiclife.Thesedays,gettingadmittedtoaprofessionalcollegeorarts/science
collegeisnotdifficultbutchoosingagoodcollegeis.Thoughallcolleges,whetherengineeringorartsandscience,proclaimtohaveglorious
vision,missionandqualitypolicystatements,onlysomecollegesreallystrivetotranslatethesestatementsintoactionbyprovidingquality
education.Manycollegesmakeemptypromisesandtallclaimsintheiradvertisements.Attimes,studentsandparentsarecarriedawayby
suchadsandmakewrongdecisions.Itistheresponsibilityofthestudentsandtheirparents/guardianstomakeinformeddecisionswhile
choosingacollege.
Thisisasequenceofmanysteps:visitingcollegesandtalkingtofacultyandstudents,collectingdataaboutthecolleges,checkingwhetherthe
dataisfactual,analysingit,applyingittoonessituation,weighingtheprosandconsand,finally,makingaproperdecisionwhethertoget
admittedtoaparticularcollege.
Veryrecently,astudentaspiringtobecomeanengineerandhisparentssoughtmyadviceonchoosinganengineeringcollege.Mythreeword
advicewas:Knowyourcollege.ThemaximIgnoranceisblissmaybetrueinsomecases,butnotwhenchoosingacollege.Inthiscase,
ignoranceisacurse.
Itisstudentsrightanddutytoknowtheeducationalinstituteinwhichtheychoosetospendafewyearsoftheiracademiclife.Smartstudents
doasortofSWOTanalysiswhenchoosingacollege.Theyanalysetheirstrengths,weaknesses,opportunitiesandthreats.
Herearesomebasicthingsastudentshouldknowwhenchoosingacollege:
Reputation
Acollegeoruniversitysreputationdependsonvariousfactors,includingitsviewofeducation,academicexcellence,research,innovation,
placementrecords,successfulalumni,MOUswithindustriesandforeignuniversities,etc.
Reputedinstitutionsfocusnotonlyonhelpingstudentspassexaminationsbutalsooncreatingopportunitiesforstudentstodeveloptheir
intellectual,emotionalandsocialpotential.Thestudentshouldfindanswerstothesequestions:
Hasthecollegebuiltahighreputationindifferentareas?
Havetheprogrammes(variousbranches)offeredbythecollegebeenaccreditedbytheNationalBoardofAccreditation(NBS)ortheNational
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MaketherightchoiceTheHindu

AssessmentandAccreditationCouncil(NAAC)?(TheaccreditationbodiesNBAandNAACperiodicallyevaluateinstitutionsandprogrammes
asperthestandardsrecommendedbytheAICTEandUGC,respectively.)
Hasthecollegesignedanymemorandumofunderstanding(MOU)withreputedcompaniesanddoesithaveindustrycollaborations?
Education
Itisquiteunfortunatethatnotallinstitutesofhigherlearningfollowtherightconceptsofeducation.Insteadofbeingconcernedwith
studentsoveralldevelopment,manycollegescompetewitheachotherinenhancingtheirpasspercentage.
Itispossiblethatacollegethatproducesgoodresultsintermsofpasspercentagebutlacksprogressivethinkingorfailstoimpartholistic
education,maytoptherankinglist.
Thetrendofrankingcollegesbasedontheirpasspercentageshasbeencriticisedbyeducationistsandrightthinkingpeople.
Doesthecollegeimparteducationinaholisticmanner?
Doesthecollegecreateopportunitiesforstudentstodeveloptheirpersonality?
Doesthecollegeprovideopportunitiesforstudentstodeveloptheircommunication,leadership,creativity,entrepreneurialandinnovation
skills?
Infrastructure
Aneducationalinstitutethathasanexcellentinfrastructuremakesteachingandlearningapleasantandfruitfulexperienceforteachersas
wellasstudents.Goodinfrastructureisakeyindicatorofqualityeducationinanyeducationalinstitution.
Doesthecollegehavegoodinfrastructure:modernclassrooms,library,lab,transport,hostelfacilities,etc.?
Faculty
Thequalityofaneducationalinstitutioncanbemeasuredbythequalityoftheteachersithasemployed.Agoodteacherhasthepowerto
inspireandtransformthelivesofthousandsofstudents.
Hasthecollegeemployedwellqualifiedandexperiencedfaculty?
Havesomeofthemembersofthefacultymadeamarkthroughtheircontributions?
Doesthecollegehaveteacherswhohaveworkedattheinstituteforalongperiodoftime?
Research
Inanyreputedcollegeoruniversity,facultyandstudentsareencouragedtoengageinresearchthatresultsinnewfindingsandinnovative
solutionstoproblems.
Doesthecollegegiveimportancetoresearchactivities?
Areteachersandstudentsengagedinfruitfulresearch?
Training,placementandhighereducation
Agoodcollegeattractsreputedcompaniestothecampusandenablesstudentstogetplacedinthem.Itispossibleonlyifstudentsofthe
collegearetrainedwellandhaveemployabilityskills.Notallstudentsseekplacementassistancefromthecollege.Somestudentsmayoptfor
higherstudieseitherinIndiaorabroad.
Doesthecollegeimpartadequatetrainingandpreparestudentsfortheworkplace?
Doreputedcompaniesvisitthecampustorecruitstudents?
Doesthecollegeenjoyagoodplacementrecord?
Doesthecollegepreparestudentsforhigherstudies?
Thiscomprehensivechecklistcanhelpstudentsmakeawisedecisionwhenchoosingacollege.Ifanotsobrilliantstudentjoinsagood
college,he/shewillflourishandifabrilliantstudentjoinsabadcollege,he/shewillperish.
Thewriterisanacademicandfreelancewriter.Email:rayanal@yahoo.co.uk
Goodinfrastructureisakeyindicatorofqualityeducation.
MOREFROMTHEHINDU

http://www.thehindu.com/todayspaper/tpfeatures/tpeducationplus/maketherightchoice/article7217448.ece

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