Hello everyone. This is Maha again! Today I am writing about some of the things which actually mattered the most for me when I had to make a final decision on which University I will join for my higher studies. Although it may vary from person to person; but these factors may have significance for every international applicant out there. Hence please give it a read and share your views;
A World Top 100 University:
The worldwide ranking of a university really matters as it determines the quality of education in an institute. The higher the ranking, the better it can be to improve your career outlook or to carry out research in an international university. For this reason, I simply typed on Google about the overall world ranking of the university I made an application to, and I preferred to apply in a university for a course provided it was in top 100 list of world’s best universities.
Course Structure:
For every student, it really matters that you are confident with the way a course is structured and you can use your skills to the fullest in all activities going on in a course. For example, I would like to enroll in a course which is all taught and where there is no practical exposure involved or where I am not forced to think. Hence I looked for the course I am interested in, studied the modules in each course to apply my interest and determined if the course has the optimum duration that I would like it to have. If you search for a course which is challenging for you and also suits your interests, you can narrow down your list of many universities.
Funding opportunities:
A deciding factor to join a university can be the options for funding your studies in that university. If a university is offering scholarships to international students, then it surely means that it aims to attract excellent international students and thus offering scholarships to help them pay their fees. Additionally there may be some stipend associated with good academic record and that can be an attractive feature for students who want to minimize their costs of getting higher education. This factor may not have importance for people who can completely fund their studies.
Ease or difficulty of application procedure:
I used to get annoyed by long and tedious application forms of some universities and by the time I used to fill in my details, I often got bored. Likewise the universities which make the application process difficult e.g. by asking official documents by posting them via mail or not accepting scanned copies, were not really into my list of universities to choose from. Ultimately I chose the university with the simplest application form and procedure to get enrolled!
Would I be able to fit in?
As an international student, you would like to apply in a university where there are many international students from different countries and you need to know whether the university offers help to settle in. For example a Muslim student would like to get enrolled in a university located in a city where there are halal food options and prayer facilities. Thus if you feel that the city in which the university is student friendly, then you should definitely be able to fit in.
Feel free to read by blog about “Sheffield as a student friendly city” to know more about what makes a city student friendly.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this article.
Best Wishes
Maha