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The Great University Debate

by Arielle Sie-Mah - Western Canada High School, Calgary AB Oct 23, 2011

With so much to consider regarding post-secondary, the decisions can seem overwhelming.


Merely nine months from now, a grandiose celebration of achievements called graduation awaits many grade twelve students. For all the hard work that precedes that event, it is no wonder that some (or many) acquire a condition known as ‘senior-itis,’ linked to apathy towards school and often, all else. Sadly, grade twelve is likely the most inopportune time for such things like university applications to begin to creep up on us.

I am a firm believer that the decision to attend post-secondary is an important one. Whether or not a person goes on to pursue more advanced learning truly affects the rest of his or her life. In my mind, there has never been a doubt. In my family, university is an expectation, not a choice as I’m sure many others can relate to. Instead, the debate goes on over which university to attend, not whether to attend.

Upon recent research of possible programs of interest, I have been carefully perusing the numerous Canadian university websites. University of Calgary, McGill University, Queen’s University, Carleton University… the list goes on. At the same time, it is hard to ignore university rankings that are released annually from a number of sources with varying criteria. There are always the chart-toppers, but I always wonder, does it really make a difference? For an undergraduate program, what distinguishes a school that has a historic reputation versus any other school? Is it really vital to attend an Ivy League for an undergraduate program?

Sometimes, the choice to attend university itself is the most important one of all.
 
Here is a link to the most recent rankings offered by The Times Higher Education World University Rankings of 2011-12:
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2011-2012/top-400.html

Leave a comment below and tell me what you think. What is all this university commotion about? 

Comments (4)
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We shouldn't be expected to

Submitted by jbourget on Mon, 12/05/2011 - 12:50.

We shouldn't be expected to go back to school right after we graduate. It is our choice and we should choose what we want to do and not what our teachers and parents want us to do.

I felt the exact same

Submitted by Hannah on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 22:28.

I felt the exact same pressure. I was never asked if I wanted to go to university, only where. I think this is a social expectation that has become a little bit outdated. It seems to me that the general idea is school -> university -> job, but that's really not how it works anymore! Not going to university doesn't mean you won't get a good job. And having a degree doesn't mean you'll get a good job!

Your Opinion Matters Most

Submitted by tracydong on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 11:30.

I agree with KevinCSun. It's better to find a school that is best suited for your liking. Don't count on world rankings or other people's opinions to determine what your decision is. Make some visits to different schools, find out what kind of environment you'd like to live in, if the people are nice there, and if the school has the best program for you.

You Are More Important than the University You Choose

Submitted by KevinCSun on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 11:38.

Though parents and other such authority
figures may stress the importance of picking
the "right" university, in the end what truly
matters is yourself and what you want to do.
Choose based on the opportunities that the
school has for YOU, not the ranking that's based
on the rest of the world.

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