Why do good colleges matter?
Our society is designed in a manner that we give a lot of social weightage to the top most universities of the country. Even a student’s assessment is done on the basis of which college or university they get through while several look down upon those who aren’t a part of prestigious institutions. The reason for giving such importance to universities stem from the fact that the top most universities provide the top most educational experiences that are deemed necessary to stand out in the crowd.
Depending on your priorities, whether a college with a good name really matters or not can be decided. Some might give more priority to courses, while some others to the reputation the university or the college holds to help with job opportunities after graduation or post graduation. Despite the much debatable discourse on whether a good college really matters or not, these are some of the pros for studying in the best universities of the country.
One of the things we hear a lot about when it comes to a good college life is networking. One of the things every student must tap into is enhancing and making their networks bigger and stronger. It is only when you’re out of your college that you will understand the essence of networking and all the benefits that you can derive from it. At every stage of your life, you will understand how networking can help in career advancement. As all of the people you know will be entering into different fields after graduation or post graduation, you will have a connection in different sectors and who knows when you need to get in touch with someone from a particular sector? Be it working with some people in fests, or getting to know some during society meetups or classmates who later become a close set of friends - all of them happen to be great resources in future. Usually good colleges have a strong and large alumni network who are well connected to each other and a close knit group who derive a part of their identity from their educational background. The allegiance the alumni body can show when you come across someone from your college later in life is unimaginable. Hence, one of the biggest benefits of getting enrolled in one of the prestigious institutions is ensuring that you enhance your network and enhance the quality of the networks you foster.
One of the biggest benefits you will come across for getting enrolled in a good college will occur once you start applying for jobs. The preference you will get for being a part of prestigious institutions and inculcating the best values of that institution will come into fruition when hunting for a job. The best of the companies will definitely question you about your educational background and you will see that you’re ahead of most people if you’re from a good college. Some employers do not give much weightage to your GPA, but instead they take a note of the college you went to for your higher studies. They will also check your performance in that institution and how active you have been in various other aspects apart from academics. Highly selective and creative industries will likely give more preference to your portfolio, work experience and passions rather than only looking into your educational credentials. But, if you’re applying for research work or jobs in the IT sector, your educational background definitely has a role to play. So, attending a college with a good reputation will never go against you if it cannot come to your benefit.
A good college will provide you the exposure that is a need for all students. Prestigious colleges give you ample opportunities to explore more. You will be able to go beyond your own little bubble and learn different things. You might also pick up a new skill altogether by joining a society or get opportunities to enhance your existing ones. With good exposure, you are given the space to go and see where you stand amongst hundreds of students from the top most colleges of the country and see where your skills require polishing. Students who have never got the opportunity to fully explore their hobbies or talents in school life due to the biased nature of their educational environment will be able to open their wings of experimentation. Be it opening up yourself or truly finding your passions - all will be possible through quality exposure. Apart from exposure to different kinds of learning opportunities, you will also get exposed to some of the most talented students in your own college and some other top colleges too. Being around people who add value to your life while propelling your growth side by side can be a huge benefit to your own personal growth. Hence, being a part of a good college really matters if you are someone who has been waiting for an opportunity to showcase your true talents or grab those opportunities that help you learn and grow. Good colleges always provide opportunities that are the best ones in the country and can actually help the students. Yes, it is true that you will get a lot of exposure from other colleges and institutions too. But the exposure you get from good colleges are definitely the best of its kind for good reasons, isn’t it?
No, a good faculty does not mean one that bombards you with tons of notes and spoon feeds you to learn concepts. A good faculty acts like a guide, allowing you to journey down your own academic path. Good colleges have amazing faculty members who not only make learning fun but also help students become independent thinkers who can have opinions and perspectives. One of the major reasons why people prefer prestigious colleges over other colleges is because of the rich faculty who always take a student friendly approach departing from traditional methods of learning. Other colleges also have some amazing professors and teachers, but to find the best ones, you have to get yourself enrolled in a good college. The students who are very focused on their academics get a very good opportunity to learn, research, and self study when they are in such good guidance and know that they can approach their professors as and when they like, and they will do everything to help them out. This helps students fall in love with the course that they are pursuing and give importance to academics and value the impact of what a course has to offer in one’s life beyond opening doorways to astounding career opportunities.
The top most institutions deemed as good colleges usually enroll the best of the best students. Hence, the competition in these institutions is immense. Some may see it as a downside, but most students who work tremendously hard or have a hustler’s mindset will surely benefit from this. A challenging environment is crucial to continuously challenge oneself to get out of the comfort zone and progress consistently in life. Hence, with classmates and peer groups having a competitive mentality where they give a lot of focus on hardwork, you will feel compelled to work and excel. To know that you belong to one of the best student’s body with the top academicians, athletes, and artists, you will not only feel proud of it, but also want to inculcate their values to challenge yourself to get better than where you are. Most students from prestigious institutions look back at their college experience in retrospect and say that they have grown and progressed a lot over the course of time and never thought it would ever be possible for them to progress so consistently and beautifully. Hence, a good college definitely matters when you are looking for growth psychologically, academically, socially and the like.
Usually prestigious and good colleges are the ones that take their support services seriously. Support services can mean having a set of working and efficient career counselors who can guide students well about what to do in future or providing financial aid and exemption to those students who are really in need of it. Several good colleges go out to the extent of ensuring that the students get good scholarships and grants from the college or other sponsors. Alongside, a lot of good colleges are now giving a lot of priority to mental health in the changing times to ensure that all the students are mentally in a sound place to go about their personal lives and academic lives. The academic support provided by the faculty members, and the support provided by staff members in case of other requirements are immense when it comes to good colleges. Other colleges might not be able to provide quality support services for its students or might provide aid that isn’t enough, but good colleges ensure that they give priority to their student body and look after their well being first. Hence, a good college really matters to ensure that the student does not face any kind of issue while studying in the college.
Usually, the colleges that do not fall amongst the top colleges or are not categorised as good colleges follow a very traditional path for offering courses to its students. When it comes to prestigious and reputed colleges, they always try keeping updated with the changing times and adjust themselves to the modern needs of the times. It is usually the good colleges that incorporate liberal arts, integrated courses and specialised programmes to help students explore diverse fields of study instead of sticking to one traditional one. This encourages the students to not only study for the sake of making a living or for their careers but because they really enjoy learning and enjoy studying a particular course. This also makes students knowledgeable about different fields and gives the same kind of importance to both their interpersonal skills and behavioral skills as that of their technical and research skills. This process ensures that the bridge between giving importance to IQ and none to EQ is resolved, and both are at par - helping students gain real leadership skills, and making them more skilled in more than one demanding field.
Hence, being in a good college really matters because it comes with a lot of benefits. But, many times it might not be possible to be part of the best institutions due to ranking, location issues or the like. In times like these, you need to remind yourself that despite good colleges coming with different benefits, there are several who make good careers despite coming from not so good colleges. So, if you do not get an opportunity to get the benefits of a good college, know that good colleges can be good means for your upliftment but it is not the ultimate thing to define your success!
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