After secondary school has ended, a lot of students will be entering a new phase in life. Due to various concerns such as course relevance, student life and future career, deciding on a university can be a little stressful for teenagers. How do you choose the right university for yourself to avoid any regrets later? Here are some of the things that you should consider when choosing the best university in Malaysia for your future path.
1. Course content
Whether you study in Malaysia or in a different country, the course syllabus will always be one of the most important things to consider. If you have determined what your future career will be, then it’s essential to make sure you are taking the right course in the right university. The contents of a course include the syllabus, teaching style, assignments, fieldwork and required internship.
This is the part where you have to pay attention to every possible detail stated in the brochure of your particular course. Take your time, don’t rush, and read through the brochures collected from different universities. It’s important to make comparisons between universities because each of them has specific contents catered to their own method and style. In order to understand more of the subject, ask questions to the faculty’s alumni, or even request to sit in a lecture to actually gain insight of the course. Furthermore, check out how the coursework, fieldwork or internship will help when you look for a job after you graduate.
2. Student life
Another factor that will affect your decision is the student life that the university offers. You, as a future student, have to know what the student life there is like. Do they have a campus that’s complete with all kinds of facilities that are useful to you, such as cafeteria, library, computer lab, field etc? Getting the full experience of a university life should be part of the things to consider when you’re choosing a university.
To get the best out of your university life, you should participate in clubs and organisations that can provide you with adequate experience and skills. Hence, it’s always good to enter a college in Malaysia that is active in its co-curricular activities. After all, university is a place where you learn about the transition from a teen to an adult. You want to acquire the necessary skills before you enter society, or the “real world”, where everything is on a macro scale. Treat university like a practice before you enter the workforce later in life.
3. Notable areas of study
Out of the many courses offered at each university, there will be a particular area or areas of study that the university is strong at. Some universities are well-known for their psychology courses, some are business courses, and some are social sciences. It would be good to enrol in the course that a university is recognised for, as there are many advantages to it. Outstanding facilities, pre-eminent experts, overseas study tours etc. are part of the benefits when you enrol in their widely acclaimed courses.
Most of the time, a university’s notable area of study is recognised by prestigious institutions, or has accreditation from education authorities local and abroad. Furthermore, they may also have partnerships with industry leaders, so you’ll get better access to an internship and maybe a career after you graduate. Do some research online to find out if the universities are strong in the field of study that you desire. It’s even better to pay the university a visit, if possible, to get a clearer view and also to see the environment.
4. Ranking & rating
If you’re looking to go into one of the top universities in Malaysia, then you have to take into consideration its ranking. It can be based on a local level or an international level, if you’re enrolling into a private institution in Malaysia that belongs to another country. A ranking system like the QS World University Rankings can be your guide in choosing universities on a global level. The ranks are dependent on various factors, so be sure to check out the methodology used to evaluate the universities. Some criteria that are included in the methodology for the QS ranking are the academic reputation, employer reputation and faculty/student ratio.
Besides, a university rating system like the QS Stars offers ratings to universities as well according to teaching, research, facilities, inclusiveness, research, employability and other factors. Universities like Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have been rated 5 out of 5 by the QS Stars University Ratings, which means they have achieved a high satisfaction level for all the factors.
5. Graduate’s expectations
Where and what are graduates from a certain course in university doing? If a high percentage of them are employed 6 months after graduation, then it shows that there is a high employment rate for this group of students. However, find out the fields that they are in and their salary to know how it’ll be like for you when you graduate. Many also choose to further their studies, so you can inquire what type of research they are doing, and if they are accepted by reputable institutions.
Compare these graduates’ professions with graduates from other universities so that you can weigh out the pros and cons. One way of connecting with these graduates is through social media such as Facebook. Another way is through LinkedIn, where you can find out how their education in university has helped them in their current career. Don’t be shy to talk to them because you can gain so much of useful information from them. It will help you to determine the direction you want to head to as well.