Doing your research before joining a college

One of the most effective ways to know whether a college will change your life positively is to talk to people in the industry. Ask question that will enable you to judge whether a certain college has a human face or not. For example, does the college care to look for internships for their students?

If you don’t know anyone in the industry, then it is advisable to visit the college you want to join. Once you are in the college, look out for the students who are already enrolled in the college. Generally, look for that person who will tell the truth and not a person who will shower the college with praise.

The key questions to ask are;

1.      Do students who graduate from this college get jobs immediately that are relevant to their diploma training?

2.      Which examination body is the college registered with? This question is important because some examination bodies give out very hard exams. Academic failure will ruin your career. Employers do not care which examination body you subscribed to.

3.      Is it easy to get a letter of recommendation from the college and individual lecturers? Well, established colleges will have lecturers who are confident to give you a recommendation. Such a recommendation will thrust you as you enter the job market. Remember to always focus on your life after college.

4.      Does the college have affordable accommodation? Living within the college will give you more time to concentrate on your studies. If the college has punitive accommodation fees (to the tune of KSh. 140,000 per term) then you need to weigh your options based on your financial background.