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If you are not enrolled in any foreign college by the time your HSC or A level exams end this June, it is unlikely you will be taking off for the New World in pursuit of higher education before August 2011. That could only mean two options: a gap year plagued with profligacy or admission to a local university. Provided you are subscribing to the latter idea, this article is for you! Before thinking about the admission process to a local university, it is first necessary to contemplate on the subject you are planning to study for your higher education. A prudent decision should considerably narrow the list of universities you would want to study in because Bangladesh only has 85 universities. But how would you rank the universities that appear on your shortlist? Unlike US, UK, Canadian or Australian universities, it is very difficult to obtain rankings of Bangladeshi universities, with most rankings covering only the best 1000 universities in the world. Perhaps the only reliable ranking of Bangladeshi universities comes from Webometrics, produced by the Cybermetrics Lab (CCHS), a unit of the National Research Council (CSIC), the main public research body in Spain. But since these rankings are based on web-presence of universities (a computerised assessment of the scholarly contents and visibility and impact of the whole university webdomain), the rank of a university does not necessarily reflect the quality of education delivered by that institution. The latest rankings show 7 Bangladeshi universities among the top 100 universities in South Asia-23. Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology , 41 Daffodil International University, 53 Brac University, 81 University of Dhaka, 86 East West University Bangladesh, 95 American International University Bangladesh The best method for ranking local universities is to take a holistic approach. For example, you can talk to students of different institutions and thus know about facilities and quality of education available at universities in your shortlist. You can also research on how students or graduates of different universities perform in international competitions like ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest, Asia-Pacific Robot Contest ABU ROBOCON, HSBC Young Entrepreneur's Award etc. This information is readily available on the Internet provided you can 'google' effectively. You can also visit websites of universities to get an idea about each institution. Now about the public-private dilemma in choosing a university. Only public universities can provide you with the true taste of university life with purpose built campuses and other amenities essential for higher education, even though some private universities and two international universities offer state of the art facilities and have their own campuses to boast of. But studying in a public institution may also mean sacrificing valuable years of your life in session jams. And would you like to find yourself sandwiched between a Chattra League vs. Chattra Dal duel- a trite situation in many public universities. How much are you willing to pay for university education? Contemplate on the points above and you will have your answer. Admission process into a public university or medical college is usually very competitive. For example, approximately six students compete for every seat in BUET. If you want to secure a coveted seat in your desired public university, then prepare for a tough admission test. The content of the admission test varies for different universities and last year's admission tests should provide good indications on what you can expect this year. In order to be eligible to sit in any admission exam you must fulfill minimum grade requirements in your SSC/O Level and HSC/A Level exams specified by each institution. But that can wait till your results are published. Joining a coaching centre for admission test preparation seems ubiquitous now-but don't forget in order to ace any admission test you need to have good concept of the subjects being tested, good memorisation skills and analytical ability. Admission process to a private university or medical college is usually easier. But each institution might have a different process in place. So keep your eyes on the websites. Admission tests to local universities usually start from August and end in December. University education beckons you! (Sources: Wikipedia, www.webometrics.info/top100_continent.asp?cont=S_Asia, www.ugc.gov.bd)
Tiktiki Tales 2:30 am. You have a Biology exam in approximately five and a half hours. After fifteen minutes of religiously staring at the book, you collapse on the bed out of sheer exhaustion. You feel hopeless, helpless. There is no one beside you who can understand you now. You are completely and utterly alone. Or so you think. The creature comes out from behind the curtains. You can see it clearly now. You shudder. Soft translucent skin. Bulging black eyes. Four tiny limbs that scurry forward when you take a well aimed shot at it with your book. No luck. The book falls open at a page you've never seen before. There is an illustration of a tiktiki. Intrigued, you decide to have a look at it. You know what these creatures are capable of. You have seen it many times before. You whack it with all your might and you think you have finally got it this time. But no! The lizard runs off, unscathed; its tail left behind to laugh at your bewilderment. According to your Biology book, this is a diversionary tactic cleverly thought out by Mother Nature. The tiktiki's tail is designed to snap at the slightest touch. While the predator is left scratching its head at the moving, but disembodied tail, the lizard makes its safe escape. But how does the lizard grow it back? Your Book tells you that these wonders of nature have a weak electric current passing through their bodies, which stimulates their tail to grow back. This works with other chopped-off limbs as well. You are awed by your newfound knowledge. But wait! If a lizard can grow himself a new arm, why can't you? You can, actually. Scientists have tried applying a weak current to broken human limbs, similar to the one that naturally runs through a lizard's body. And guess what? They healed much better than with your traditional plaster-and- cast methods! You are stunned, amazed. You look up at the lizard, now happily snacking on the pesky flies hovering around your tube light. It gives you a lopsided grin, half an antennae sticking out of its mouth. You shudder once again and instinctively reach for your book. But this time you know better. You put the book down. Tik-tik-tik-tik-tik. The tiktiki munches on another juicy fly. By TheAlien4mEarth On Crutches
1. What usually happens at parties: 2. What do you do when someone mentions SAT exams: Now add up the scores. The higher you score, the lamer you are. If you DO score in the negative, you are seriously a huge buzzkill. Stop killing the bees, and develop a sense of humour. War. (geddit? Instead of saying “Peace” I said “War”. No? Okay.) |
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Guide to admission in a local university
DO your friends move away from you every time you start saying something even though you brush your teeth thoroughly every day? If it's not bad breath, what could it be? Could it be that what you say makes people around you go “dude, you're sooooo lame”? If you want to find out what's making them groan, then take the following quiz.