One of the first ‘big person’ decisions that one makes is invariably the college and course to choose just after school. While the opportunities available today make it a lot better in terms of choices available it also acts as a source of confusion for the many who haven’t quite figured out what they want to do in life. While it is true that choices are many, unfortunately the knowledge about these choices is limited and hence it becomes tough to make an appropriate decision. Often this leads to an upset child and a confused parent.

Such issues become all the more prominent while choosing a somewhat ‘offbeat’ career like media. There are a lot of misconceptions and ideas about the industry which act against it. On the other hand, there is an idea of it being all about glitz and glamour, which again is a lop sided view. In both situations, there are chances that once the student joins, they feel that it’s not exactly what they bargained for. It is because of this reason that it becomes imperative to take a well informed decision while choosing a media college for UG. A few steps that would make this job a little easier have been enunciated below:

1.  Ask yourself- is this what I want?

While this step is easier said than done, it is important to ask oneself if they really want to do a course in media. Choosing to take the less traveled path is always a big step and a challenge. It is important to decide whether it is a risk that you are willing to take as, like all careers,  it requires a lot of hard work.

2.  Confused? Read up!

It is but natural for youngsters to be confused and unclear about what exactly they want to do with their lives when they are fresh out of school. Trust me everyone has been there. It isn’t something to be alarmed about. However the smart thing to do is to reduce the confusion by reading up as much as possible about the industry,  so that you have an idea what you’re getting into.

3.  Think you’re convinced? Put yourself to the test!

Sometimes things just seem right till you get down to business. It is easy to get mesmerized by the razzle-dazzle that the media industry offers. It is important to figure out for yourself if this is something you really want to do. Passion is the key to a successful career in this industry. Actually it is the only way to go. Without a true passion for the industry nothing else can help. It is the right combination of hard work and passion for the art.

4.  Do you have it in you?

Talent is key in the media industry. While a good college can help you to hone your skills, it is useless without creativity and talent. This is not something that can be bought off a counter; it needs to be within you, like a fire burning in your heart. It is this fire, this talent and creative energy that will take you far. That and a good college to back you can be a recipe for success and contentment.

5. Build a support system

One you yourself are convinced, it is important to convince those around you as negativity can be a big killer. Try and convince those who matter to you so that they keep encouraging you and keeping you in good spirits, even through the good times, as they are bound to come from time to time.

6. Now the college!

The previous steps are very important while choosing a media school as it is very important to make the media school choose you rather than it being the other way round. This is because the specifications of the course make it so subjective that what one makes out of it is mostly very individual. While looking for a college, one needs to do a lot of research about the kind of colleges available and more importantly the courses they offer.

7. What about the ‘perks’?

By perks in a media school, what I refer to are the various supporting clubs and course that one gets to take. The beauty of such a course is that it offers you so much more than an average run off the mill course. Additional clubs and courses like photography, film making, script writing etc help in broadening ones horizons and thought processes thus enhancing ones creativity.

8. Internships

It is very important to identify whether the college offers internships as these are a major source for identifying the ‘real thing’. Most of what is taught in a media school can be put practically to the test during the internships, and this would also help in making a mark in the industry early on.

9. Guest and external faculty

It is important to find out what kind of external faculty teaches at the college. Due to the nature of the industry it is important to have more number of people from the industry who can interact with the students. This is also a sign to show how serious the college is about giving the students a well rounded exposure into the industry.

10. Believe

Finally the last step is to believe. In the college that one chooses and in oneself. It makes the journey a lot easier.

Choosing a college has always being a trying decision, but it can be made a lot simpler just by finding out what one wants exactly, after that everything almost always, will fall into place.