Written by: Aashinjina Santram

UC CAAS Student- Studying in FLAME University, Bachelors in Psychology

College Application is one of the most overwhelming experiences a student goes through. The uncertainty of the entire process can lead to several unhappy days and some happy ones too. One such pleasant surprise occurs when you get accepted into more than one college. But then that situation leads to another very stressful problem called “dilemma.” What should I do now? How do I decide? I like both colleges? Such questions become recurring thoughts, and soon the students find themselves stuck in an unsolvable puzzle. To tackle this situation, we need to assemble the puzzle piece by piece. These pieces can be arranged using a simple system called priorities. These priorities can be the location of the college, the crowd the college attracts, amenities such as sports centres, co-curricular and cultural engagements, housing, distance from home, connectivity, etc. All these are equally important aspects, and hence when the student identifies these, deciding what college to choose becomes and easy feat. This blog will cover the various priority points students can consider while selecting their college.

1. The first priority that tops the list in importance is the location of the college. Once students reach college the desire for independence is insurmountable, however a place that they can call home is extremely reassuring when moving to a new place. Hence, whether a student is going abroad or staying in India it is very important to check whether you have family living near your college. This gives a sense of reassurance and security to the students which helps them feel more settled and helps them excel. In my case I had to choose between a college in Bangalore and Pune. In Pune I had my aunt living while in Bangalore I had nobody. Both the colleges were offering me similar amenities and course structure but I chose Pune since I knew that I had home there.
2. Picking up from the location of the college another very important aspect to keep in mind is the crowd the college attracts. This essentially means what sort of a peer group will be found in the college. This is very important because a good, healthy and like-minded peer group is necessary for the intellectual development of a student. I had decided on taking Psychology as my major and found that the proportion of students taking Psychology in my college was the highest compared to the other colleges on my list. This made me opt for the college I am in currently as I knew that with the maximum number of my peers taking Psychology it would help me build a vaster and stronger network in the future.
3. The next priority to keep in mind are the co-curricular and sports facilities offered by the college. This is essential because college societies and clubs are a good platform to network and also provides a stage to express your talents. Moreover, these also build socio-emotional, teamwork and partnership as well communicative skills which are extremely important in the industry today. I had been a theatre person my entire school life and I wanted my college to also have a great scope for it. Unfortunately, a lot of the colleges on my list did not have a very strong theatre community. Later, however, I came to learn that the college I am studying in has a very elaborate and sought-after theatre society. They host performances and even have a minor in the subject. This further motivated me to join the college I am currently studying at.
4. Until now we have spoken off very experiential aspects to look out for while selecting a college, now let’s talk about something more logistical. The first essential requirement is the housing facilities either offered by the college or around the college. This is essential as housing with proper furnishings avoids unnecessary expenditure and also helps provide a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere. After choosing to join my college in Pune based on the course and all other experiential aspects mentioned above, I became concerned about my living situation. Pune is a big city and my college was quite far from the main city. Luckily the college was a residential college with a 1 am curfew. The lodging had all the necessary amenities in perfect condition. This checked off another very important priority and I was just one step away from deciding.
5. The last point on the priority list is connectivity. This means that the place you are staying, whether it is on campus or off campus should be centralized. This entails those facilities such as supermarkets, restaurants, and other recreational spots, should be close and not too far. The availability of such things at a close proximity helps save on time as well as provides for a more sociable and stress-free living. The college I was deciding upon was far off from the main city life. Though the college offered shuttle services at all times, still the ease of connectivity was missing. But my problem was solved when I learned that because of the connectivity issue the college had made arrangements for supermarkets and cafes to be built a kilometre from campus, so that students could walk across and find everything they needed. Once this provision was met there was no stopping me in choosing my college.

College life is a period many students dream and look forward to. The thrill of independence and the joy of studying a course they want to is what produces the image of the perfect “College Life.” But many times, because of missing out on detail this perfect college life can invite annoyance, stress and also discomfort. That is why combining all these priorities and deciding a college will help students decide the perfect college for themselves. This will help them have a healthy and stress-free college environment.