Pull the plug on education costs and go to a college around the corner. Not only are you likely to save a whole bundle by opting to study close to home, but your results could also be better than anticipated. So says Kerry Damons of Boston City Campus and Business College.
“Worldwide, more students seem to be attending colleges and universities that are close to home,” she comments. “Educational institutions have had to open campuses to accommodate this need; our college has 48 branches nationwide, UJ has a campus in Soweto; Pukke (University of the NorthWest) has branched out to Vereeniging, and there are other similar local and international examples, too many to mention.”
Students choose close-to-home education because it has proved to be cheaper, kinder to the environment, promotes family ties and other relationships, provides students with better support and students often have better pass rates.
Furthermore, bringing tertiary education to local communities – and to the suburbs - serves as an uplifting exercise as it encourages intellectuals and experts to serve local communities and not go looking for better opportunities in the big cities. This helps to counteract urbanisation and to lessen the so-called ‘dumbing’ of local communities.
“Studying in your own dorp, suburb or township can also increase your chances of finding a job,” Damons points out. “This because you have intimate knowledge of your hometown’s job market and have connections with its people. In the case of a town that is struggling, it will be more difficult, obviously, to find jobs - regardless of whether you have studied at the college around the corner or abroad at an international university.”
If you decide to go local, remember that you shouldn’t simply enrol at the nearest college and hope for the best, she adds. You can end up wasting your time and money studying for a qualification that is not ‘legit’. Start by visiting www.education.gov.za, the website of the Department of Higher Education and Training to view the official register of private higher education institutions in South Africa.
The register shows which institutions (including all types of tertiary colleges) are presently registered with the Department and what courses/qualifications they are authorised to offer. There are also details about the premises of the college; in other words the classrooms and other facilities have been checked and found to be fit for education purposes. If you don’t have access to the Internet, you can phone the Department at 012-312-5320 to obtain a copy of the information booklet on the registration and regulation of private higher education institutions.
“Whether you are choosing a college which is far away or which is close to home, you still need to choose the one that will be the best for you and that has all the necessary credentials,” Damons reiterates. “Stay away from institutions that are not registered.”
Does studying close to home mean that you will miss out on the opportunity to explore the big wide world out there? Damons believes that you will not be missing out on anything.
“You can go explore the big world any time you want to,” she says. “You will probably be better equipped to do so once you have a qualification in hand and a little more life experience as well.”
Besides, studying close to home does not necessarily mean that you have to stay in the same place where you grew up or stay with your parents. You can rent a room with friends a couple of streets away so that you can enjoy freedom and independence. This, of course, if your budget allows it, or if friends are prepared to give you preferential rent.
You can also choose to study in a nearby town or suburb – this will allow you to experience a new environment and meet many new people, but at the same time you will not be too far from your friends and family.
“Going to the college in a neighbouring town or suburb can give you that feeling of excitement associated with new beginnings,” Damons points out. “Though you will need to make arrangements for transport to and from classes, the traveling costs are likely to remain reasonably low if you don’t have to travel too far from home.
Where there is a will there is a way, so don’t hesitate to study close to home if that suits you and your pocket best. With thoughtful planning and preparation, you can benefit from the advantages of being close to home and find solutions for the disadvantages associated with it. Whatever you do, however, don’t give up on your dreams of furthering your studies.
Boston City Campus & Business College offers over 80 dynamic career qualifications over 40 branches nationwide. Unisa degrees & media studies are also available at selected branches.
Contact Boston on 011 551-2000
Students that apply for admission at Boston City Campus & Business College will get a response to their applications within two working days. And those that apply long in advance for their 2016 studie…
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