What to have in mind when choosing a university course

Some academic experts opine that it is no longer about qualifications but how relevant the course is in the job market. Sometimes, it may not even necessarily be about a degree but a good diploma that may help secure a job right way after graduation.

Four years ago, I remember meeting Isaac Tugume, a Senior Six leaver at the time, from Naalya SS who had three admission letters from Makerere and Kyambogo universities.

A government sponsorship to study Education at Kyambogo University; a private admission for mechanical engineering at Makerere University and another private admission for Civil Engineering at Kyambogo University.

Tugume told me he neither wanted to be a teacher or a mechanical engineer yet his father insisted that he become a teacher; a profession he fancied and longed one of his children would take up.

This is a common occurrence where parents force their children to live what should have been their life.

What Tugume wanted was to become a civil engineer and he had worked hard at it while in high school. He convinced his father that this was his passion and eventually, the latter obliged.

After the four years, Tugume will be joining thousands of graduates at Kyambogo university this year to realise his dream- a degree in civil engineering.

Follow your passion
Patrick Idringi commonly known as Salvado is a comedian. From a young age he knew his passion was in comedy but his parents wanted their son to become a successful engineer. So, he obliged them. Salvado is an engineer by profession but has gone on to become a successful comedian.

Dr Aaron Mushengyezi, the Vice Chancellor at Uganda Christian University says students need to consider their passion when choosing a programme.

“There are a number of people who have degrees but don’t practice what they studied,” Dr Mushyengyezi says.

“What do you want to be in life? What inspires you?” he asks, noting, that if students follow their passion, they are on the right path.

“If you are inclined towards music, or writing, don’t waste your time pursuing a degree or diploma you won’t ‘use’ because at the end, you will go back to do what you’re passionate about,” he says.

Students should look out for institutions that serve their interests. Dr Mushengyezi says during their time, Makerere University was the only institution of that caliber so there weren’t many options.

But that has since changed with more universities and innovative programmes now on offer.

“It helps to make good research and understand what exists on the menu to make judicious and informed decisions,” he stresses.

Qualification, ability and diversification
It is important that while applying for a course, ‘you chew what you can swallow’ to avoid regrets.
“The points you score also play an important role in pointing to which direction to take; is the arts or sciences?” Dr Mushengyezi opines.

He says there have been instances where students apply for programmes which they want but can’t qualify for and in the end, they are denied admission.

Dr Godber Tumushabe, the executive director at Great Lakes Institute in Kampala, says whereas courses are limited by the combinations a student studies at A- Level; students need to look out for courses that give opportunities to diversify at the end of the course.

“The courses you do must open a wide range of options for you both in terms of career, employability and future studies,” he says.

Dr Tumushabe finds law to be a diverse course since it opens up different careers in legal practice; other courses that he mentions include; economics, statistics and development studies.

He says in sciences, medicine gives a wide range of options, sand electrical engineering also forms a good foundation for other forms of engineering such as mechanical and civil.

Dr Tumushabe says, senior six leavers need to ask themselves whether there’s market for the course being pursued. But more importantly, the course must provide a possibility for self-employment.

“You don’t have to rely on being employed. If you were an accountant, you can establish an accounting firm, or if you are a lawyer, you can start a small law firm. The course should not limit you to being employed by someone else,” he explains.

Mental ability
Dr Ahmed Ssengendo, the rector at Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) says students need to choose courses that are within their ability to excel at.

“Sometimes students choose a course because it is popular or is the talk of the town yet they may not have the ability to excel at it well,” he says.

Quality matters
While joining university years ago, Dr Tumushabe thought getting a degree was an end in itself. It was much later that he realised that the quality of the degree that you get will either shut or open doors for you.

“Students joining college or university should leave nothing to chance. Make sure you use your time wisely. You either get a first class degree or a second upper degree because those two can open all kinds of opportunities,” he advises.

Dr Tumushabe says getting a lower second or pass degree or diploma can limit someone’s possibilities while a pass degree can shut down almost all opportunities.

Dr Ssengendo shares a similar view. “If you have a lower degree such as a pass or lower degree, chances are that you may not get shortlisted for a highly competitive interview. Ability to pursue a programme and excel at it is important. When the two conflict, then ability should come first.”

Regional campuses
You don’t even need to break the bank to join a main campus. Today, most universities and colleges have set up regional campuses in the major regional towns across the country to create convenience and cut costs of pursuing a course.

Dr Tumushabe says it’s important to take advantage of regional campuses.

“If I am admitted to Makerere University and there’s a regional campus in Jinja, then it is only wise to utilise the regional campus. It doesn’t matter whether you are at the main or the regional campus. What matters is investing time to perform well,” he says.

Dr Ssengendo says whereas most universities have a central point for admission, if there are options on the admission form, students should try their luck at regional campuses because there’s usually not so much competition compared to the main campuses.

Dialogue with parents
Dr Ssengendo says parents and students should negotiate on which course to pursue without causing friction.

“The mistake that parents make is dictating courses to students regardless of the students’ preferences,” he says.

He advises that there should be some level of negotiation of give and take between parents and their children. He urges parents to seek career guidance where necessary. Dr Mushengyezi says parents need to talk to their children about what inspires them so that they don’t choose courses that they are not interested in.

“This is because at the end of the day, a parent will have wasted resources and the child’s time at university,” he notes.

Trends and peer pressure
One of the common mistakes that Dr Mushengyezi points out is peer pressure.

“I want to do this course because my friend applied for it” is a mentality among students that he says leads them into hitting the wall by choosing courses that are not within their interests or probably may take them sometime to get employment. They find it ‘cool’ to study certain courses and end up choosing a course to please their peers. We have students who don’t want it to be known that they are studying a certain programme because it is not thought of as prestigious or not considered to be for the brilliant. This is how students end up making wrong choices,” he remarks.

Affordability
According to Dr Ssengendo, having an honest understanding of one’s financial status will help a student make good decisions in regard to choosing a course.

“If you do not have government sponsorship and can’t afford university fees, then consider courses in vocational institutes which continue to be under looked by many yet they make students marketable and enable them to create their own jobs.

Dr Ssengendo says there are some students who when they miss out on government sponsorship end up selling the last cow in the family or land to pursue university education and sometimes the money is not enough for the entire course duration. So many pay fees for the first semester and drop out.
Alternatives
“Students are programmed right away at the beginning of the education system. Our education system doesn’t expose you to the varieties of career experiences that one can pursue after school. To say that students make mistakes in applying for courses would be judging them harshly,” Tumushabe says.

Degree syndrome
Whereas a degree is a necessity in the cut throat competition for jobs, Dr Mushyengezi warns that it should not be a do or die. What is important is how relevant the qualification you have is.

“Instead of pursuing a degree, there’s a possibility of pursuing a good diploma and getting employed right away after graduation,” he says.

Dr Mushengyezi says although a degree has become the basic qualification for a graduate, diploma programmes can be used as stepping stones for the future.

In his paper, “Reforming the Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) sub-sector: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects,” Eng Henry Francis Okinyal, the vice chairman at the Engineers Registration Board, points out that the significant increase in the number of universities in the country has created a “degree syndrome” where most people, especially the youth, apply for degree courses even where employment opportunities are not readily evident upon graduation.

“Holding a degree is, besides, still a status symbol and, upon gaining employment, one is enabled to earn higher salaries and renumeration than those with lower qualifications. The entrenchment of the “degree syndrome” means that the country shall have more degree holders than technologists or technicians (diploma holders). This is undesirable and shall hinder the pace of attaining the country’s development agenda,” the paper reads in part.