First up: Research

Research is the key to many a decision maker and thus choosing a university for the correct reason is not any different for a budding student. From university accommodation, lecturers, course materials, fees, types of degrees, to even the university sports teams, individuals need to investigate reasons for entering into a university of their choice.

At FirstStep.me we take a different approach and actually map out what it takes to manage a university career -- the questions/research aspects that individuals need to look into before making that big step into a study program!

1. Institutions (yip there are various forms)

Colleges can be either an academic institute on its own or represents a segment of a bigger institution.

2. Applying to a university or an institution (just a click away)

Individuals choose a university based on a number factors. -- t could be the location of the university or even its offerings. The great thing about modern technology is that now applications to university have become quite literally just a click away, all the information you need to find out about a university is on their websites. A university is worth their salt as an institution if they have a website that can be easily navigated along with a solid online application unit or information on how to apply to the university.

3. Bachelors, Post Graduate degrees and diploma:

A Bachelor’s degree is usually awarded as an undergraduate qualification that takes between 3 to 4 years to complete.

A Post Graduate Degree, is obtained after further study following an undergraduate qualification.

A Diploma on the other hand, though not a degree, is basically a qualification acknowledged by an education that credits an individual for having completed a study (or series of) course/s.

4. Entrance requirements (school grades…they do count!)

Yes your high school grades count! Universities around the world have entrance requirements based on academic performance during your high school years. In some countries individuals can only enter university or certain institutions if they have attended certain finishing schools.

Individuals need to find out from the desired institutions what are the requirements to enter are. That way you know whether you should even bother to apply for your tertiary there or not.These are usually found on the institution’s website.

Depending on what degree you are looking to pursue the university will have various academic or entrance requirements. Some course structures could be extremely stringent in terms of entrance requirements and might expect individuals to have taken certain subjects during high school.

Choosing a degree is a massive step forward for a prospective career. However it also doesn’t necessarily determine the overall success your career.

Furthermore, a university is just the medium or platform for individuals to achieve so research which university is best suited to the degree of your choice and also make sure you look at what courses make up a degree that would add value to your career. If you are unsure about names of courses or the structure of the course, contact the university and ask about details regarding the course. Again the university website should have full course structure and details.

5. Entrance examinations

(yes exams don’t end at high school; they only but just begin when you enter tertiary studies!)

Some institutions expect individuals to write an entrance exam along with submitting their high school results. In other cases some institutions are just satisfied with a high school result and put their selection emphasis on an entrance examination. Countries like the USA have the SAT and ACT setup which is a standardised university or college entrance examination which is used by a number of universities in America. Check out: http://www.act.org and http://www.collegeboard.org

6. Finding an institution (welcome to Google Maps):

Go to http://maps.google.com, search for universities and focus on a location of your choice and there you go! The Map below has a list of universities from around the planet!