What is best practice in providing guidance to aspiring students in their university and/or course selections?

What is best practice in providing guidance to aspiring students in their university and/or course selections?

Being a great Education Expert is all about the intersection of:
  • Great communication and listening skills, and
  • Expert-level knowledge in education

With that in mind, we suggest beginning the relationship with your student by building the most accurate picture possible of who they are and what they want.

So, ask yourself: what do you know about this student, other than logistical basics? In your initial conversations, you’ll have determined what state they currently reside in, and whether they’d be willing to relocate. You’ll probably also know what discipline they’re interested in studying, what course level is most appropriate for them, and what their budget is.

But there’s more to it than that. Best practice in education guidance is to understand your student’s practical limitations (geography and budget, for example), as well as their emotional needs. Try asking them:

  • What’s the most important factor for you in this process? Why?
  • What’s perhaps the least important factor? Why?

If your student finds it difficult to answer these questions, you can give them clear options from which to answer. Try asking questions like:

  • Do you prefer living in a big city, or a small town?
  • What’s more important to you: the cost of your course, or how highly your university is ranked?
  • Do you prefer to study somewhere with lots of students and a vibrant student life, or is it more important to you to have small class sizes with easy access to your lecturers?

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