Deciding to plan out your whole life based on what you study in post-secondary is very overwhelming. But don’t lose heart because you can create a path that works for you!
Nowadays, the benefits of a secondary education are endless. Some say it’s as important as a high school education, or so I’ve been told by academic advisors. Yet picking the right institution can be tricky.
First off what is the difference between a College and a University?
What it comes down to is what each offer. Typically, Universities are large institutions that offer both specialized undergraduate and graduate degree programs plus PHD. An undergraduate is a four-year bachelors, which is the general take for most students. On the other hand, a College is a smaller institution that often give certificates and diplomas which are two-year specialized program.
There is a lot of pressure to go to university compared to college. I definitely felt pressure from parents, relatives, friends and even by my inner self critic. It was drilled into my head, that going to university somehow is better than college. Honestly though it truly isn’t, but it totally depends on personal preferences.
More established institutions like the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Simon Fraser University (SFU) definitely are competitive, and sure, if you get in you have total bragging rights.
For some they are dream schools, however if you are anything like me, indecisive, the choices can be daunting. When I first got out of high school, I just couldn’t commit myself to a four-year undergraduate program because, let’s face it, they are expensive, and I didn’t want to waste money or time on something I wasn’t passionate about. I knew I wanted to continue studying, but I didn’t know where to begin. An option that I took was going to college before going to university.
Here are 3 reasons why I enjoyed going to College first.
- The intimacy
Here is a case where less is definitely more. Smaller classrooms made for easier interactions with both my peers and teachers. The intimacy of a smaller college is not as overwhelming as sitting in a classroom with 200 students.
- Still having money for that student life coffee fix
Compared to universities, tuition fees are dirt cheap at colleges. Not many people know this, but domestic students at Douglas College spend, on average, approximately $200+ per class. Not bad, right?
- Easier transition from high school
For me going to college first truly helped me hone essential skills (such as writing and communication) necessary to survive the competitive environment of university.
Now for the tea! Did you know some Colleges in the metro-Vancouver have programs where you can transfer credits to universities? YES, they do!
This is a great way to dip your toes into post-secondary education, especially if you’re not sure where you want to go. For more information, here is a link to Douglas college transfer credits. In my case I transferred my credits to SFU. I highly recommend speaking to academic advisors for more information though.
For me going to college first truly helped me when I was indecisive about what I wanted to pursue for post-secondary. And speaking from experience there is no harm in shopping around to find which is a good fit for you.