How to choose the right course and university to study

Last updated on September 16th, 2018 at 11:58 pm

Do not misquote the post title, for there is no such thing as the wrong course. if something is not right doesn’t mean it is wrong. Every year, students are faced with making a decision on which course to study in a higher institution. In fact, you make hundreds, if not thousands of decisions, each day. These decisions range from what to eat for breakfast to what to wear today.

Other decisions require more thought, for example, which school to attend, and the required qualification. One important thing to keep in mind with making career choices (such as choosing a qualification) is that you will ask others for information about your decision, but in the end, the responsibility is yours to evaluate the information you have and to make the final decision.

It would also be important for you to be able to distinguish between facts and opinion. People have different ways of making decisions – through conscious effort or overtime influence. Conscious effort simply means understanding self and thorough examination of one’s abilities, environs without eternal influence. A conscious effort can be aided through guidance and counselling (preferably by an external personnel). But some prefer to gather a lot of information and then weigh all the options in terms of positives and negatives; others solve problems by eliciting opinions from others.

There are two primary agents that influence your decision when choosing a course to study.

1. Peer group.

2. Family. (It can be a direct or indirect influence)

Direct means can be by telling you to study a particular course because I blah blah blah and blah. Go study this study because my friend is the CEO of blah blah. Am not against this as some parent may have good intentions.

Indirect means could be through observation and direct (though not important) engagement.
For example, an Artist whose child also help out in daily activities may end up pursuing an artistic course/career. A Pharmacist whose child help out in dispensing drugs over the counter may end up pursuing a course related to Medicine.

How then can I choose the right course to study?

There is no definite answer because we humans are different and complicated. I am not going to direct you on how or what to do, I will only provide guidance and the decision will be yours. Many students look to the future when choosing a course to study, where they will work and how much they can earn. Am not faulting that thought yet let me remind you that the future is slippery.

More than 1million people lost their jobs in 2016 are you aware of this?

Don’t choose a course because you want to use the degree to earn a living by working in oil companies, telecommunication industries etc… wake up… that’s is not a right way to make a decision. Earning a living with your degree doesn’t guaranty you the happiness you desire. If you examine yourself well, you may be someone like me who doesn’t like to be bossed around.

I will advise you again to choose a course that is somewhat related to what you love doing. You should also learn a trade. A trade serves as a backup to your degree. When your degree certificate fails to get you a job, you can easily fall back on to your trade. You should ask yourself, what do I really love doing. Do I love singing, selling, do I love to talk. There must be a thing which is of interest to you and there is a related course for such.

But I have interest in a lot of things. What do I do? Out of those things, one of them makes you happy the most, think about it or go for what I coined Double Passion Course (Dopaco). These are courses that turns you into an Entrepreneur while allowing you to pursue other Career E.g A Musician and a Lawyer, A Movie Actor and a Politician. An architect to a Photographer.

Type in your desired course below to know the required secondary subject combination  for you to gain admission

Now that we have established how to choose a course to study, another important thing to consider is the High Institution of study…

If you desire is to become an educationist, your best is to follow the path of College of Education. There exist Faculty of education in Universities, but they cannot be compared to the College of Education because it is a specialized institution focusing on education only.

Before you choose where to study, you must consider the following

• The Fees
• The Distance
• The Environment
• Vulnerability to Strike
• Type of Degree
• Academic Calendar
• Acceptable O/A Level result

Fee
90% drop out occurred due to the inability to pay tuition fees. Most students don’t prepare a budget or understand the place of a budget when choosing a higher institution to study. There are no universal acceptable fees nor fixed. Some Universities increase fees yearly. Do your homework before you make a decision.

 

The Distance:
Some student like it far other prefer the nearest location. Your health should be a major determiner for location. If you are your parent’s parent – You should take distance at hand.

 

School Environment:
The cost of living, traditions, culture and the weather should be on the desk of decision. If you’re allergic to dust like me, some Northern part is a no go area. The cost of living is crucial. What you would buy in the North for 100Naira, you may buy in the south for 1100Naira. I hear Ibadan cost of living is the lowest. Have not been there anyway.

 

Vulnerability to Strike:
Do your research well… Some schools bend quickly to the call of ASUU. You don’t want to spend 7 years in place 4 years. Think twice before to leap.

 

Academic Calendar-
Some private and federal institutions can finish a 4 years course within space of 3 years. Some can linger on for 5 years. You should consider this also.

 

Acceptable O/A level result-
When ignorant is at work, every disappointment is not a blessing.
Some University doesn’t accept two sittings. That is a combination of O level result. For a fact, some will indicate the type of grade required in specific secondary school subjects for a course. And for those driving through the route of Advanced Level (A/level) ensure you also find out which Nigeria Universities does accept IJBM, JUPEB, Cambridge etc and the conditions attached.

Type in your desired course below to know the required secondary subject combination  for you to gain admission

In Conclusion…
Don’t be influenced, take your time to make the right decision. If you wish to study in Nigerian Universities, there are over 700 courses and how many of this course do you know? You can also choose to study online with a foreign university right from your bedroom.

See also:

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• Nigeria University Guide
• How to Answer and Pass WAEC, NECO, GCE, JAMB Questions
• How to Calculate CGPA in Nigeria Universities
• Health Insurance Benefits for International Students
• Inside a Typical NCCF Family House
• Why you should study psychology at the university
• All About F1, J1, M1 B2 Visa Interview Questions
• How to setup a timetable for study
• What do Recruiters look for in a Resume at first glance