If you’ve decided that you would like to
study next year, whether it’s at a university or one of the country’s Further
Education and Training (FET) colleges, chances are that if you wait until
January or February to register, you might be left feeling disappointed.
Tertiary institutions around South Africa often struggle with huge numbers of last
minute applications and with limited
spaces available, it’s simply a case of first come, first serve.
There are many things that must be decided
upon and planned for before you even get to the point of being able to register
for tertiary education, and it’s often these very things that become the
downfall of prospective students who haven’t planned ahead.
Deciding on a course
First and foremost you have to decide what
you want to study. This may seem like a simple task, but there are a lot of
factors to take into consideration before you make your final decision. You may
have decided you would like to study medicine, but the subjects you took in
high school may prevent you from registering for this career path, or you may
be unable to afford the tuition fees associated with that field of study. Visit
Eduloan’s website to take our career aptitude test to get great suggestions on
what you can study here.
Getting
your documentation in order
Having all the correct documentation is
also a key factor towards whether you can apply to a tertiary institution or
not. Make sure you have your identity document, your school results and any
other documentation required along with your application form ready to avoid
unnecessary delays with your registration.
Accommodation
Accommodation is often a huge factor for
students who want to study away from home. Finding a decent place to stay,
whether it is in residence, student digs, in a private rental or with relatives
or friends, and figuring out what it will cost is of the utmost importance.
Books
Another often unexpected cost comes with
the textbook list for the course you have decided to register for, and those
costs can vary greatly with each course. Try to find out before you register
how much your books will cost so that you can budget effectively for them
before lectures start in the new year.
Tuition
fees
Tuition fees are often the biggest expense,
and the determining factor as to whether
or not you will be able to study what you would like to study or not. If you or
your family won’t be able to cover the costs of the study fees, apply for
finance for your studies as soon as possible.
Transport
If you are not going to be staying in a
residence or somewhere within walking distance of your campus, it’s likely that
you will also need to budget for transport. Figure out how much it’s going to
cost you for the next year and add that onto your study budget.
Food
Food is also a massive unforeseen cost for
many students – if you don’t budget for it, chances are you might end up in a
very difficult situation because you are starving. Make a reasonable estimate
of how much your grocery bill might come to in a month and times that by 12 to
get the total amount for the year.
Study
aids
In the past decade it has become virtually
impossible to study without a computer, and that computer will more than likely
require internet access. Completing your assignments and doing research on
campus will mean restricted use of workstations because of the large numbers of
students who don’t have computers of their own. Getting your own laptop may
mean the difference between passing and failing.
Many students end up dropping out of
university before they get the chance to write exams, not just because of high
study fees, but the associated expenses of studying that go with it. That’s why
it’s important to have a plan that caters for all of these factors.
If you need any advice with your financial
planning during the registration process, give our customer service centre a
call on 0860 55 55 44 or sms “EDU” to 32150 and we’ll call you back within 24
hours.
No comments:
Post a Comment