While we all may need to put a pause on certain aspects of our life for the time being, crucial things like our children’s’ education are still at the top of our minds. How does this change their admissions process? What about exams? How to navigate one of the most important decisions of their lives in the middle of a crisis? Here are the points on how to ensure as little interruption in your child’s education by harnessing the power of the digital age.
Take the global lockdown as a chance to explore great colleges in India
With the global lockdown still in full swing, it’s important to consider the possibility of opting for domestic institutes. Many of us might be surprised to find that there are institutes in India offering the same international standard of education as abroad, for a fraction of the cost. The shift to the online space actually provides applicants with more access to explore their Indian chosen colleges than ever before and see their offerings and USPs. Many offer internationally accredited programmes, global curriculums, semester abroad options and guaranteed placements without the hassles of high international fees, visas and paperwork and needing to relocate to a faraway country.
Request to sit-in on a college’s online classes
That’s right – could you have ever pictured being able to sit in on classes before? With institutes teaching their batches online, this leaves plenty of flexibility to give applicants ‘taster’ sessions of what academic life will be like at the college. Students can explore faculty profiles, see if the curriculum taught is truly up to date, and, at the end of the day, just see if the college ‘clicks’ for them. Another thing to look out for is to see if the college has any notable guest speakers – if they have a great industry connect, this switch to digital should mean you’ll see some impressive names dropping in for guest sessions.
Take virtual tours of campuses
Open days are a wonderful thing but can be tricky to fit into a busy schedule, especially if the college is far away. The good news is, open days can be more accessible and enjoyable from the comfort of our own homes. Institutes abroad and in India are adopting virtual tours of their premises. Often filmed with specialist equipment and rendered in expert software, these tours create a virtual, 3D map of the campus building, giving you access to the entire college, from top to bottom, room by room, at your viewing convenience. See the technology, examine kitchen equipment, see how spacious the classrooms are – can you picture yourself spending the next three, four years there and enjoying every single day?
Reach out to existing students or join in on a live Q&A session
With no time spent on commuting, we’re noticing we have more time in our day for our hobbies or work – and the same goes for college communities. This means they’ve got more time to engage with their audience – and this includes you. Keep an eye on your chosen college’s social media – chances are, they’re hosting a live Q&A session, and often with students. This is a fantastic way to really get to understand what life is like at the college, understand the admissions process and get authentic, genuine inputs from existing customers of the product.
Request the admissions team for a video counseling appointment
It’s normal to have lots of questions as you’re choosing what to study and who to study it with – there’s no doubt it can be one of the hardest decisions we make in our life. It’s normal to return to a showroom multiple times to buy a car – so there’s no such thing as asking too many questions when it comes to choosing a higher education. The good news is, the leap to digital provides us with a platform for mutual knowledge transfer. With numerous institutes now offering video counselling, it’s a great opportunity for you and your child to get answers to all your queries – with the college being able to better understand if the candidate is a good fit.
