Choosing a college

 Choosing a College

 

As teenagers, we are beginning to think about leaving home for the first time and starting college. Some of us may have lived in Dubai our whole lives, and it’s nerve-wracking to think about living anywhere else- especially on our own! You may feel homesick for the first few months but that is perfectly normal. Soon you will adjust to your new lifestyle, friends and situations and you’re almost guaranteed to have a blast! But how do you choose the right college for you?

Firstly, you need to know which course you want to choose as the quality of these courses may vary from college to college. When deciding which course you want to take, my advice is that life is too short to be wasted on things you don’t like doing. The video ‘What if money were no object’ is easily found on YouTube and is inspiring, motivational and eye opening and I strongly recommend that students whom have recently graduated from school watch it.

After deciding upon a course, it would be useful to find out which universities offer the best courses. UCAS is a fantastic resource for finding out courses you may not have even known existed and colleges that offer them at their best. Upon finding colleges that offer the courses you want, you should probably decide on which learning environment will work best for you. Will you thrive in a small university or a large one? Will you prefer to study in the countryside or the city? If you honestly don’t have a clue, visiting the colleges that offer the course that you want will surely help you to decide.

Living abroad to attend college is not your only option though! The UAE has a wide range of universities which can cater to various learning needs and desires if you’d prefer to stay home near family. There are many universities that cater to expatriates in the UAE located in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Expatriates from other GCC countries can also study here with the aid of a student visa. Many top universities have established internship programs that could lead to a job in the region. So as you can see, you don’t have to move far away if you want a higher education, staying close to home could be the right option for you!