Shopping for a School
Shopping for a School
September 25, 2012
If you’ve just started your final year of high school, you’ll probably be spending most of this year deciding which school to choose for your post-secondary education. To help you out, I thought I’d explain how I made my decision. Hopefully, it will make the idea of post-secondary education a little less overwhelming!
When I started thinking about choosing a school, I realized I first had to decide what I wanted to do as a career. This step is so important, because not every school offers every program.
Once I discovered which schools offered the programs that interested me, there were some other factors to consider:
Location
Like many students planning to move away for school, I wanted to be far from home. But as the year wore on, I really started missing my friends back home and the comfort of my family. Moving away for school may seem ideal now, but make sure you’re realistic about the location of your school and how often you hope to travel home.
Reputation
After I decided to take a university commerce program, I quickly learned that certain schools are well-known for their business programs. Most schools have particular “strengths,” and this factor may help you decide which school is the best fit for you. If you’re looking for a school with a trusted reputation that produces successful graduates, ask around and find out which schools are best known for the program that interests you.
Overall experience
When I was shopping around for schools, I talked to a lot of people. I discussed schools with neighbours in university, my brother’s friends in college, and even my parents. It was really interesting to hear about their personal experiences and why or why not they enjoyed their time at school. I recommend talking to as many people as possible about their post-secondary experiences to help give you some perspective on potential schools.
The most important thing? Do your research! Post-secondary education is a big decision, so make sure you know everything you possibly can before you make your choice.