Consider course before zeroing in on a college

Mumbai: With results round the corner and the admission season about to begin, students will be busy scurrying to get through to colleges of their choice. While most have started short-listing their preferences for online application, there is still time to analyze and then select a college.
Experts say despite constant advice and planning, students tend to be unhappy with their choice a semester later.One of the main things students need to consider is the course they are interested in. This should take precedence over the college itself. Father Terry Quadros, counsellor at the Counselling Centre at St Xavier’s College, Fort, said: “It is important to choose a subject over a college. Often, there are students who opt for Xavier’s just because they want to be here.”
Choosing a reputed college outweighs even the marks obtained. “One must keep in mind that cut-offs are close to their marks. Several colleges have had similar cut-offs over the years and most students are aware of how they have performed. Hence, they should go through the cut-offs of colleges at least in the previous year before deciding on which colleges to opt for,” added Quadros.
Experts also advise choosing colleges closer home. Dinesh Panjwani, principal, R D National College, Bandra, said, “In a city like Mumbai, this is a very important point to take into consideration. Colleges should be close to homes. Distance matters very much. Travelling a long distance is a waste of a lot of time that could be used to study instead.” Panjwani added, “One should choose a college whose environment is conducive to both studies and extra-curricular activities and not fall prey to peer pressure. If your friend is going or not going to the college shouldn’t matter—a mistake that many students seem to make.”
Students could also look for colleges with good certificate courses that can add value to their profile.
“Certificate courses in pure sciences or economics are extremely popular among students and over-subscribed most of the times. These courses on campus can be attended during free time so that students can use it constructively and add to their CVs even before they finish college,” said Jyoti Thakur, executive coordinator, Jai Hind College, Churchgate.
However, these are not the only criteria students look for. Salomi Gavhale, who just gave her Class X exams said, “College timings are also important. I will even take into consideration the college crowd and whether or not they have a good faculty.”