Choosing A University-What Are Some of The Criterion To Consider?

So what makes it a clincher (or unfortunately a deal-breaker) as far as deciding which tertiary institution to further one's studies is concerned? Is it the degree of human warmth on campus, or the availability of special learning resources and facilities? Could it be the amount of time taken to commute from home to campus, or the variety of extra curricula activities one can participate in? Does quality of canteen food matter? How important is the need for eye candy in lecture theatres and classrooms? Various residents at Reddit Singapore offer their two cents on this, with responses which range from the semi-serious to the extremely thoughtful:

By Isares:


"I chose NTU based on the way they interacted with prospective undergradates. They spent A LOT on their outreach programmes, and put a lot of effort into answering any questions we had then.


They also followed up with applicants much more swiftly than NUS - by the time NTU confirmed my placing and scholarship, NUS was still trying to organize interviews.


To me, the way a university interacts with prospective undergrads is most important. The way they present information about their courses, their outreach efforts, websites and their prospectus, reflects how important students are to the university."


By tictactorz:


"I had both offers from NUS and NTU for my preferred course. Went over to NUS and NTU to find out more respectively and I was impressed by NTU's facilities compared to NUS'. Since my field of study requires long lab sessions and NTU's labs were better than NUS's, I opted for NTU instead. It also helped that NUS felt 'dead' when I went over while NTU was more lively.


The majority of the decision making went to the fact that NTU's labs were better.


Can't believe I paid money to apply to NUS only to reject them :')"


By woonie:


"When I was applying to universities, there happened a case in NTU where this professor got stabbed and the student committed suicide. Immediately didn't want to join NTU any more.


So maybe (one of) the most important criterion for me was a university where students don't stab their professors I guess."


Lordlad was equally "forthcoming, as he remarked:


"Chio Bus....... don't deny please....this is what you wished for in your subconscious."


By Shurikenger:


"I believe all universities have their own strengths and weakenesses. But what matters in the end is whether or not the prospective employer recognizes your university degree. No point being a top scorer or extremely active in extra curriculum activities yet the employer (ESPECIALLY THE HRs) rather hire local university graduates or those from overseas prestigious schools. Freaking hate the discrimination over here.


And in the event you encounter that kind of HR/Employer, I think you found the wrong company and you should go look job-hunting somewhere else. I would rather have an enjoyable education; that means having good lecturers, being able to participate in activities and getting to know more people, not forgetting acquiring/strengthening life skills. Thereafter, seek employment in a place where you are properly appreciated for the academic credentials you have secured."


By midasp:


"That's pretty open ended and can have different answers depending on what you want out of the degree and how far up you wish to go.


If you just want a piece of paper that makes getting a job easier, then look for the Singapore government's list of accredited universities. A degree from any of the listed university would be good enough for most jobs.


If you're going for postgraduate and especially doctorate studies, then the university does not matter. Instead, it's a matter of finding professors who are experts in your intended narrow field of study."


Carefully harvested by the Czar (Site Founder)

Dated 29 September 2016



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