When you’re in high school and trying to decide where you should go with your life in terms of career, it’s difficult to choose whether you should follow your dreams to university or reconsider your goals in technical college. Both are excellent avenues in their own rights, and both are very different places both during attendance and following graduation.

If you are considering university, there are some particulars you should know about. First off, university is generally a more “academic” approach to learning. You may learn abstract concepts, but you may not be given a direct means of applying this information to the real world. University class sizes are generally larger, particularly early on in the process, resulting in less face to face contact with the instructors. As you progress in university, however, it is not unusual for class sizes to decrease and more interaction to occur with faculty. The cost of university is generally higher than college, with the average undergrad paying $4724 for their tuition annually. As well, the length of time spent in university is often longer, on average three years for an undergraduate bachelors degree, or four years for an honours degree. After graduation, finding a job may be a bit difficult, as a general degree often does not make it easy to apply for specific job titles. Many jobs, however, do require a bachelors degree, and often do not specify which field it should be in.

While this may appear to be a list of negatives about university, there are also many positives. University seems to be held in higher regard in society than college, and many upper level jobs require some university training. University educated individuals also make more money on average than their college trained counterparts. Although it may be longer, cost more money, and teach you fewer specific job skills than college, university may in fact be the way to go for you if you are looking to make more money in the long run, and move your way up the corporate ladder.

If college is more up your alley, there are specific things about college that are important to know. College is generally a more “hands-on” approach to learning. You are usually taught specific skills, and then are shown how to apply these skills to the actual job environment. In addition, college can usually boast smaller class sizes and more one-to-one learning opportunities than can university. College is usually less expensive than university, with the average student paying just over $1900 per year. College generally runs from one to three years for program completion, but is usually considerably shorter than university in length. After graduation, finding a job is often easy, as the particular skill set you have gained from college makes you a perfect match for many specific jobs in the industry you have selected.

There are several negatives about choosing college that must be considered as well. College is generally less respected in society than university. College graduates average lower pay cheques after graduation than do university graduates, although they do not usually search for a job as long. Often, climbing the ladder at your company requires some university education, which may mean you have to go back to school if you want to progress.

RDG Careers is a good point to start to assist you in determining whether university or college is best for you. There are many things to consider, and RDG Career counselors can ensure that all factors are pursued in order to make the best decision for your own personal situation.

RDG Careers - Graduating? Avoid the Hard Knocks
http://www.youtube.com/user/watch?v=WVnmZL-5zXg&feature=channel_page

RDG Careers - Can RDG help You?
http://www.youtube.com/user/watch?v=b6lggTRPOi8&feature=channel_page