From Campus to Campus

From Campus to Campus

As the deadline for many early college and university applications draw near, there’s one question that’s bouncing around in the minds of graduates and grade 11 students alike, “Where am I going to go after I finish high school?”. The question’s not an easy one, and any restrictions for the question may vary depending on the person’s situation. But as a grade 11 student myself, and having done several campus tours, I have found different variables that remain the same that each student should look for in a university. Whether you’re doing a bachelor’s of science, art, music, medicine, or anything else, this may be a helpful guideline on how to find the perfect university for you.

Step 1: Research

If you’re picky, like myself, you may want to go to school that has an excellent course in your field of interest, or may even be known for it. A good place to start is to google the top 10 best schools with that program in your country, state, or province. Personally this helped me narrow down my list, and opened my eyes to what I wanted in a school. If you don’t know what course you want to go in, or if you simply are not sure if that school is for you, don’t panic. You can also look up local universities or colleges and see if that sparks any interest. Perhaps the best thing you can do if you’re completely unsure of what, or where you want to go or do, is to take a campus tour. Even if you don’t end up going there, or completely hated the tour, this gives you an idea of what you want and don’t want in a school. Best case scenario you fall in love with the college and get to see the campus, and city around it, in person!

Step 2: Common Interests

When choosing your school, it’s extremely important to keep in mind that this is the place you’re going to be living in or at least spending most of your time at, for at least a year. This place needs to be somewhere that you can feel safe in, but also somewhere that’s cosy. At this stage you should be looking into things like how nice the dorms are, or if they have any clubs that match your hobbies. You should also keep in mind, the environment of different schools in different cities. There’s a huge difference if you’re from a small town, like myself, with a school of 300 students in the middle school and high school combined, and then jump into a big city university with over 20 000 students. I’m not saying that adapting between environments is impossible, but it’s something that can be difficult for people. See if the school has resources that help make the transition easier; talk to some people who have been to that school, or an academic advisor at the school. You may find that the change is doable, or maybe you want to stick to a smaller school. Both of these options are perfectly fine, and it’s actually quite common to find a bigger school partnered with a smaller one, that way you get the best of both worlds!

Step 3: Resources

As I mentioned before, the school that you choose has to be somewhere that you feel safe. This is where checking to see if they have the right resources for you comes in. The very first thing you should check is the campus security. In my opinion every school should have strong campus security, and so far all the campuses I have toured do have one. One thing that I do personally look for, security wise in a school, is the walking buddy system. It’s this thing where they have a group of students that, when called or messaged, will come to you and walk you to your dorm or apartment within a certain distance. This makes sure that every student is safe, and leaves them at less of a risk. Another thing to keep in mind, is different health facilities. Do they have a clinic either on campus or near by? Do they offer health and dental insurance? Do they have a counsellor or mental health advisor? Is the school considered a safe space? Depending on your needs these are extremely important questions to ask, or to research.

Step 4: Job Opportunities, Internships, and Co-op

There’s no denying that secondary education is expensive. But there is a way to avoid being jobless while being in school. A lot of schools have on-campus jobs that vary from campus security, to bookstore cashier, some even offer payment for you to take extra notes in certain classes so that those who weren’t that day can still know what they missed. It’s just a little thing that can make college life a little easier. Of course, there’s also opportunities like internships and co-ops. These things don’t usually become available until third, fourth, and rarely second, year, so you don’t need to worry too much. Still, you may choose to see how many they have available, or if there’s a guaranteed one in your programme.

So there you have it! Follow these four steps and you may find making a decision for your perfect university or college a little easier. Just be sure to remember, you could have all these traits in your secondary education, but if you’re not doing something you love, you’ll never be truly happy there. These are general guidelines, applicable for everyone, but your university experience is personal.

Make it yours.