How to Choose a University

Are you unsure how to choose a university? Feeling stressed and anxious about making a decision? Get support and advice from our guide on how to choose a university in the Uganda.

Whether you’re waiting for your A-level results, you’ve just received them or you’re in the university clearing process, you’re probably wondering what to consider when choosing a university.

How important is choosing the right university?

The choice you make when choosing a university will shape your immediate future. It will determine who you meet (maybe even your future spouse!) what skills you will develop and opportunities you can seize. Therefore, it is a crucial decision that has a lot of impact on the rest of your life. And that, as we know, is quite a lot of pressure.

How to choose a university
Below you can find the biggest considerations when choosing a university. Not all of them will apply to you, but there is some food for thought for every university hopeful.

Consider your course and future

Choosing a university is likely to centre around the course you want to do and the career you wish to have after graduation. Not all universities offer the same courses so you will need to investigate which ones do offer the degree you need.

Moreover, you may wish to look into the details of those courses to see what modules are included. Does it include a module that you want to specialise in and find interesting? Or are they irrelevant for your desired career?

Another way to judge the course is to look at the professors and lecturers who teach at the university. Are they spearheading the field with innovative research, or have they even inspired you to get into the discipline?

Industry connections
Some universities will actively advertise on their course curriculum that they have connections within the industry. This may provide an opportunity for you to get a work placement with a company you dreamed to work for, or a similar opportunity. It’s also a good idea to look at employment rates after graduating from each university – many of them publish this information.

If you can’t find this advertised, email the course leader directly to find out what’s on offer with them.

Online and remote learning options

University courses have always had a remote learning aspect to them, usually in the form of blackboard or another online moodle where course notes and announcements are published, or where recorded lectures are made available.

These types of platforms may be used even further due to the recent pandemic, with some universities potentially taking a more blended learning approach, where some content is recorded and placed online. The details of this may be a consideration when starting university in 2021.

You could always get a feel for what’s on offer by trying some short online courses from a university you’re considering.

University location and campus location

The city or town of your university will probably hold a lot of weight in your decision.
You might prefer to live and study in a vibrant busy city or may prefer one of the smaller Uganda university destinations.

The location may be important for an array of reasons, including but not limited to:

Travel time back home
Travel time to a weekend job
Social scene and nightlife of the location
General atmosphere and local amenities/venues
Whether you prefer a campus university or one located around a city
Remember to check the campus location of your course and not just where the university is predominantly based!

Think more about the social scene
The social scene is one consideration that usually gets a lot of attention. Nobody wants to go to university in a boring city with few bars and no cinema or special events throughout the year.

Your university life is going to last four or more years, so take the social scene into account when you make your university shortlist.

Extra-curricular activities and sport

Going to university is not only about studying and preparing for a career. It is about character building, making friends and getting involved with things you are passionate about. Whether that be poetry, politics or sports, you may want to look closely at what clubs and societies are connected to the university.