Students’ Speak: Focus more on skills and generate maximum opportunities

By: Kandarp Patel

Many students get disheartened when they don't end up in their dream college. In this article, Kandarp explains how to deal with this and make the most of the next best options.

What is actually important, college or good education and skills?

Obviously good education and skills are more important than one particular college. But the problem is that despite knowing this fact, most of us are running for getting into one particular college. This is not bad; one should target top-ranked colleges, but should not stick to that particular college only. Instead of this, we must have the proper understanding that if I get into my targeted college then it is very great but if I don’t, then I should not be sad or should not get depressed.

One should try for other colleges which are similar to their targeted colleges. We know that college will not impact much but quality education & skills will impact very much. We must have at least 10 to 20 colleges as a backup for choice according to criteria and requirements.

Prepare a list of similar options

If you don’t get admission into your desired or targeted college then you should shortlist 5 to 6 colleges which are similar to your desired or targeted college. And after that try to get into those colleges and then select the best college from these in which you are eligible or getting admission.

Shiksha's College Comparison Tool can help you with this. You can use this tool to compare up to 4 courses and colleges on their fees, placements, seats, alumni ratings, infrastructure, and various other details. 

I personally think that it’s always better to compromise with our targeted college if we are not getting admission in it rather than spending one more year for it. Instead of spending one year, try to make yourself so skilful that you can get much more opportunities than you could get if you were in your targeted college.

Learn from the eminent personalities

There are many examples of successful people who could not get admission into top colleges or were straight away rejected. But currently, they are invited by the same colleges or universities for acquiring the degree from their institute. Even Narayana Murthy, Co-Founder of Infosys, was not able to get into his desired college (IIT) for his undergraduate program but he took it positively and then he did his masters from his dreamed institute, IIT Kanpur.

Degrees and colleges don’t matter anymore but skills do matter. So, be calm and relaxed. Now just try to get admission in the best college from the colleges in which you are eligible or getting admission. And after selecting it to give your best. I hope that you will take this as positive as Narayana Murthy took. And I also hope that you will focus more on skills & education and generate maximum opportunities.

About the Author:

Kandarp Patel is a student at Nirma University, Ahmedabad, pursuing Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering (final year). He is also a campus representative with Shiksha.com since 2016.