Savvy, discerning students shop for college

Savvy, discerning students shop for college

Hariati Azizan, The Star/ANN/Malaysia

Any economist will tell you that in a buyer's market the consumer
is king. With over 600 private and public institutions of higher
learning to choose from in Malaysia, it is no surprise that
students are more discerning.

StarEducation's Campus Poll 2004 reveals that a student's
choice is influenced by personal interest, knowledge about the
course, career prospects and the institution's academic
reputation and standing with prospective employers, as well as
its campus environment and facilities.

Students now are more well-informed and prefer to shop around
for a qualification. They are no longer content to simply settle
for courses offered by public universities or take up programs
based on financial constraints or scholarship offers. In fact,
many would rather pay more to take up a program of their
interest.

More and more students are also working part-time to finance
themselves. It is hardly surprising then that the colleges with
the best bargains and offers are hot with students.

The higher education landscape in the country has nonetheless
changed tremendously over the past year. With a new ministry,
major changes are in the works, particularly with the revived
push to make Malaysia a regional center for education excellence.

However, in the beginning of the year, private colleges
recorded the lowest intake ever in the wake of competition from
the introduction of national service and second coming of Form
Six. A revitalized economy has also re-ignited interest in
overseas studies.

And as in past years, the limited number of public
universities were inundated with applications, particularly for
their medical programs.

Institutions of higher learning, public and private, can no
longer take things for granted and will need to meet the needs of
their customers, the students.

The mystery remains: What makes students tick when it comes to
selecting courses and institutions? Are they more influenced by
the bigger picture of the national economy and employment market,
or the revolutions in the education scene, or the fashion and
trends of the day?

Hence, to complete the jigsaw, StarEducation conducted the
Campus Poll.

According to the Campus Poll 2004, Malaysian youth have a say
in their future.

A resounding 100 percent claim that their choice of area of
studies is based on their interest, compared to 22.7 percent who
cited parental advice and choice. Their source of information
includes word of mouth -- friends and seniors -- as well as the
media and Internet. Interestingly, 10.1 percent of the
respondents say that they got their information from education
fairs and institutions, an increase from last year's figure of
1.4 percent.

No surprise -- the trend reflects the growing consumer power
of the young. With increased access to information, many have
realized that what they choose to study and which college they go
to do matter.

Last year, 85.5 percent of the respondents claimed that they
were interested in their areas of study while they were still in
school. Although Campus Poll 2004 has not ascertained this data,
it can be concluded that this empowerment is a result of efforts
taken by schools and the Education Ministry to equip students
with knowledge of career choices and opportunities available.

The poll indicates that a majority of respondents ultimately
made their decisions based on their knowledge about the course,
and personal interest, followed by course appeal and career
prospects. In contrast, less than 10 percent jotted down parents'
choice while a fraction was swayed by the fact that the course
was easy to pass, scholarship offer or lack of choice.

Unlike in the past poll, word of mouth does not figure as
strongly than 10 percent are influenced by their friends and
feedback from seniors and older siblings.

A total of 1,472 undergraduates from the Klang Valley area
participated in the poll. More than 63 percent of the respondents
are from private institutions while only 25% are from public
universities. The other 12 percent did not divulge any personal
details.

The poll was conducted over a three-month period from April
this year. Responses were received by mail from readers as the
Campus Poll was published in StarEducation as well as various
sections of the main paper. An online poll was also created on
The Star website to encourage those who have access to the
Internet to participate. In addition, questionnaires were also
sent to about 20 private institutions and public universities for
their participation.

Hence, the poll is not definitive due to the sampling
limitations which comprise readers of the paper, wired students,
and those from selected colleges. What it aims to do is to give
an idea of how choices are made and the forces that drive them.

As the poll shows, the academic reputation of the institution
rather than its cool image and social life is a prime concern for
students when deciding on their destination for higher education.

Good facilities and a conducive campus environment also top
students' list of priorities, followed by emphasis on research.
Employment concerns seem to be on many students' minds too with
many citing industry links and good reputation with employers as
influencing their choice. In contrast, other factors like
distance from home, and friends and family play a small part.

In the criteria for course choice, training for future
employment is a concern of respondents who opt for close links to
industry and a lot of practical work. Other aspects looked for in
course content include a variety of activities, interaction in
class and a lot of IT skills.

Medicine, dentistry, engineering and technical disciplines
remain popular among respondents. The conclusion that can be
drawn from this is that students are taking heed of the
government's push for the sciences. On a more optimistic note,
there is a growth in the level of interest for biotechnology (up
to 23 percent from 7.6 percent last year).

Apart from finance, business and economics (18 percent), the
arts and humanities record a low interest. In a reflection of the
uncertainties in the IT industry, the percentage of students
choosing multimedia and interactive technology has also declined
(down to 9 percent from 14.3 percent last year).

The report card

Education providers, both public and private, will be happy to
know that the majority of students are satisfied with their
programs.

Only 3.6 percent are dissatisfied with their course, while 1.2
percent say that they are very dissatisfied.

When asked if they would like to switch courses, more than
half of the respondents say "No". Only a quarter of the
respondents say that they would switch courses if given the
chance.

Interest again is a main priority as 15.5 percent say they
would change courses as they have only just discovered their real
interest. Another 6 percent say that changes in trends have
weakened the career prospects of their current program, prompting
them to explore other opportunities. Although the poll alludes
that parents' influence has decreased, they can rest assured that
their children are making the right choices.

The small percentage of students misled by information from
advertisements, friends or errant colleges indicate that students
are becoming more savvy in selecting the right program and
institution for them.

Only 9.5 percent say that they would like to revise their
earlier decisions due to inadequate research.

Apart from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), the usual
suspects again top the list of preferred public universities,
namely Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

According to the Campus Poll 2004, a majority of students are
satisfied with their institution.

Topping the list of reasons for their satisfaction is the
quality of lecturers. The standard of facilities ranks second,
while affordability, friends and a happening social and campus
life are minor considerations.

It has to be noted that interest in research has grown, as
this year's poll record show that 3.3 percent put the
institution's emphasis on research high on their list of
criteria.

If the poll is any indication, parents can be confident that
their children are concerned about academic standards, the
condition of the campus and its environment, as well as their
career prospects.

Only 17.5 percent of the respondents say that they are
dissatisfied with the institution that they have chosen. Their
grouses mainly concern facilities, campus environment that is not
conducive for studying and the quality of lecturers. In contrast,
the social life on campus rates low in the minds of a majority of
the respondents.