Setting basic criteria when selecting your college – Part 1

Choosing the college that is right for you is one of the biggest challenges that can help make or mar your career. The college that's right for you can motivate you to reach greater heights of success than a college that you don’t feel comfortable with. That's why choosing a college needs careful consideration of many factors to be able to make the right choice. This article is the first in the series and presents two of the basic criteria that you need to think over when choosing your college.

Location

• Are you open to travelling long distance on a daily basis or would you prefer something close by?

• Are you willing to move out of your city/country?

These questions typically need to be answered in order to understand the perimeters within which you will need to look for your college. It may not always be possible to get the desired course within the limits you specify and hence, it would help to make a list based on your order of preference.

Culture

Are the majority of the students of this college from a similar caste or background? There are many colleges that are historically black. Some countries have special reservation for specific communities – this usually depends on the community the college owners or trustees belong to. If that's the case, will you be able to adjust to a vast majority of such people who may be culturally different from you? Most colleges in US take in students from different cultures to create a diverse cultural environment in the college allowing you to get adjusted to cultural differences that you may otherwise need to learn during one of your jobs. However, colleges in other countries may favor your community, your pre-entrance exam score, or other factors over a diverse cultural environment.