Many HSC/A-Level students got their results recently and they are now confronted to the many choices they have to make. Some have decided to repeat for some better grades while others have all the requirements asked for further studies. By reading through this article, I hope providing you with as much information as possible for you to make a sound and knowledgeable choice. Certainly your feedbacks and comments would greatly help in extending the discussion and providing more light on the subject.
When to repeat?
I won’t personally advise you to repeat since the requirements for further studies are as follows:
- 2 Passes in your main subjects
- Pass in your General Paper would be a plus
Passes mean Grade A to Grade E for most universities. See how it works here for UoM
So you’ve seen it : unless the grades are very poor or you’ve not obtained sufficient passes, there are high chances for you to get a seat for further studies. It might depend though on the number of available seats and other factors but applying now everywhere you find suited is a must. Therefore follow on to read and book your seat now if you find it the right choice. If anyone has got any good reasons to make the certificate better other than following on with further studies, your feedbacks through comments are greatly appreciated. I’m emphasising on this since the fee for a year at the University of Mauritius for most fields/subjects is less than a second seating for an A-Level/HSC course. So better have good reasons buddies!
Further studies :
In Mauritius
You can start your further studies at the many institutions providing them in Mauritius itself. University of Mauritius,University of Technology Mauritius,DCDM Business School and the many ones that provide you with degrees from Internationally recognised bodies. Start getting in touch with the ones you find suited to begin appropriate procedures. You can do this by getting in person to them or through their websites, some of which I’ve listed all over the article.
Here’s an overview of tertiary Education in Mauritius and the major players in it.
University of Mauritius
I would advise you to put the University of Mauritius at the top position of your list since most fields are available there at very affordable costs. They range from approximately Rs 9000 to more per year. It’s based mostly on criteria such as
- if the field/subject requires lab use, then the cost is approximately Rs 12000
- else without lab use, it’s about Rs 9000.
Of course these costs are for the year 2006 so expect some minor changes this year.
You can obtain more specific information on the various fields here.
when to apply?
Admissions are not open yet. It would be announced on newspapers when they are taking students for this year(probably around April). So make sure to read the papers or stick around for the latest news on the subject. More info on admissions here.
Feedbacks from students of UoM would be greatly welcomed on this topic.
DCDM and others
At DCDM, you can start fresh from the beginning by grabbing a certificate then continuing with a diploma to further it with your Bsc in the corresponding field. This course route can be taken by anyone who doesn’t have an HSC/A-level but at least an O-Level. For HSC/A-Level holders you can start directly with your Bsc.
Try to get in touch with DCDM or visit their website. The fees there are usually more than at UoM ranging from Rs 100,000 to up. Many BSc subjects would cost you around Rs 250 000 to 300,000 for the whole full course which is mostly 2 to 3 and 1/2 years. Registration is now open for 2007 intake at DCDM.
Ecole Hôtelière Sir Gaëtan Duval
Many of you may have certainly chosen the Tourism and Hospitality industry for career prospects. It’s now a booming industry and posts like Tourism Manager or Hospitality Manager pay much. Infact working in the tourism industry will provide you with many contacts – people you can get in touch with for future possibilities. It’s as my father said
Today it’s not mostly the beautiful certificate that can get you in good positions but your contacts. It’s through contacts that you build your network of people that will be of great aid further down the road. And there’s no better place to get in contact with “contact” than the tourism industry.
Many courses offered at Ecole Hôtelière Sir Gaëtan Duval are also provided at UoM but at much lower fees. But trust Ecole Hôtelière Sir Gaëtan Duval’s worldwide recognition which would be more enriching and provide you with better placements in your future career choices.
To get in there, your 2 passes in your main subjects would ease your path to a seat with them.
For any information, get to Ecole Hôtelière Sir Gaëtan Duval and go to the reception. It’s where you can ask for more information and application forms. You can also download the application forms if you wish.
If you’ve opted for the Pastry field and would like some advice, you can contact my father there . Call in person to Mr Pawan Coomar or call him on 7428514.
In France
Procedures to get you do your further studies in France are done through the CIFOD center which is located at Port-Louis. Applications for the intake 2007 should have been made before the 31st January. But some courses are still available for enrolment.
In UK,Australia and such countries
For countries such as UK and Australia, you have to get in touch with the respective Universities by yourself. Get to their websites and find how you can contact them and start your application’s procedures right now itself since it will depend on the available number of seats,etc.
I would advise you to choose first a college to get you there. College costs are much,much lower than University ones. Universities cost a lot : from Rs 500,000 upto(and the price of the pound keeps rising) whereas colleges cost around the 3000 pounds. Once in college there, you can then start working,collect your money to further your studies in a University of your choice. Infact many colleges are affiliated to Universities so this will ease your procedures. But choose carefully for such countries since the life costs are very high and many have testified of the hard living conditions in foreign countries.
A tour to the British Council situated at Rose-Hill could help you to get more information or you can get them online by getting to the sites I’ve compiled for you below:
Info concerning British further education:
- Information on how to apply for studies at University/Colleges
- Info on UK Visa
- Info on Courses and job prospects
- Nursing Diploma courses in the UK
- EducationUK
- hotcourses.com
- University of Southampton
- St Patrick’s College London
Feedbacks from those studying in such foreign countries and their opinions are greatly appreciated.
For Australia, IDP is mostly the main portal for further studies and like UK,etc, you’ve to get in touch with the respective colleges/Universities there. I would greatly advise you to attend the Open day/Exhibition on 23/24th February where all major universities/colleges of Australia are going to get on with presenting themselves to the Mauritian public.
In Ireland
Many people flew to Ireland recently, some to study while others to find a path that could lead to permanent stay. I don’t exactly know the worldwide recognition of Ireland’s Universities/colleges so I would advise you The University College Dublin which is mostly known and sometimes recognised. As for the colleges there, you have to choose carefully since many aren’t recognised to deliver good certificate/degrees. Better check with the TEC offices for any college you might opt there to know whether they are good and trustworthy ones.
Links for further studies in Ireland:
In USA
I don’t have specific information for USA but I’ve got the address of the centre that takes care of this:
Educational Advising Center
Embassy of the U.S.A
4th Floor Rogers House
Port Louis
or call them on 202 4444. Their mail address is usainfo @ intnet dot mu. Indeed a visit to their website shall provide you more info : mauritius.usembassy.gov.
Local Agents
Local agents provide the link between you and the university/colleges they represent in foreign countries. They are told to ease your procedures with the institutions. Personally I won’t advise you Local Agents before thinking carefully about their trust and their fees. Please anyone who knows some trustworthy agents can leave something for us all through the comments.
wrapping it up
The one thing to start doing right now if you’re qualified for further studies is to apply at the most places you find suited. Right NOW, start with the procedures. Try choosing the field which you want to pursue and choose the institutions of your likings. But think well before getting your seat permanently. Sometimes you can wait for others to call back to you but never hang on only one choice be it one University or College. I hope I’ve given you more light on the subject but your comments and feedbacks are greatly welcomed to further the discussion. This article doesn’t stop here, it continues with your opinions and advices from those who are going for further studies, those already at University and all those in the respective fields.
Update : More read/y goodies for you
- stampede for enrolments by WazeeKun (thanks for it bro)
- Studying abroad could do you the best it did to thousands
- List of top Universities around the world – (thanks again to Wazeekun)
- The Times Higher Education Supplement (thanks to Khalil)
- You can work on your own and this can work for you
Ireland isn’t dangerous. I don’t know about Northern irelnad, but Dublin is a really safe city. I lived in London for more than 8 years and I can honestly say that Dublin is far safer. Theuniversities are really good. trinity college is one of the best in the world, and the RCSI is one f the best in the world for medicine.
I didn’t know much about Ireland before I came here myself. It has a lot more to offer than London, and you can walk anywhere in Dublin at any time. I never had any trouble and people are always redy to help. The only place I would try to avoid is Limerick city, although the University in Limerick has got an excellent reputation. It’s just the area that has a bad name amongst people here.
other than that, I would really recommend ireland for further studies. in many ways, I wished I had applied here when I finished my A-Levels. The standards are really high though.
Anyone wanting a seat at the RSCI would be advised to have only As on their transcripts! As for Trinity College, it’s one of the most prestigious institutions in the world…
France is another really good destination too, especially when it comes to costs! A good idea would be to study in france and then work either in the UK or Ireland. You wouldn’t be spending on fees and the formation is excellent too.
We have a lot of French nationals working in the company I work for and they are excellent. There is a lot of job prospects in Ireland once you have the right qualifications. And it pays so much better than most of the European countries!
I would beg to differ when it comes to the “contact” getting people to places! I think that quality shows, there’s only so long someone can fake what they know.
People do not respect bullshit merchats and believe me, they can be spotted from a mile off! I know a lot of really successful people who have made it because of their sheer intelligence and perseverence. My dad always told us to aim high, and we have aimed really high. Today, it is fair to say: the sky is the limit for both myself and my sibling. We come from modest backgrounds in Mauritius but we were encouraged to aim high and that nothing is impossible.
I can honestly say that we have persevered and it’s definitely not “contacts” that got us the high flying jobs we have.
We are foreigners in the countries we work in and we’ve made it to the higher levels because we are excellent in our respective fields. Quality always shines through. In today’s environment, no one would pay you a massive salary just because of who you know. What matters in every business is the bottomline and what matters is how you can affect it by being brilliant.
Many of my friends ahev made it in their respective fields through hard work and honesty. Not through “contacts”, networking only helps once you have the qualities to deliver results. No one would employ you because of who you know.
I think that a lot of young people in Mauritius are deluded in believing that mediocrity is going to be rewarded. Now it all depends on how far one wants to go, and how far one wants to reach. For people with little ambition I would say that the said “contacts” might help, but for those of you who want more then aim high: that’s the only way!
i’m right now doing an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering. just wanted to know if their is scope for that in Mauritius..
thnx for informing me
bye
Hi Ashi,
As I understand it, the prospects of a career for the biomedical course that you are doing would arise mostly from the fact that it has a very strong engineering background.
I don’t know whether you would get a job doing exactly what you are studying for, and frankly, it very rarely appens that people get a job doing exactly what they have studied at Uni, unless of course you go down the academic career path.
I would say it will depend on how you are going tomarket your skills, because after allit’s how you market your skills thta will get you the job that you want. And from my experience, people with a strong engineering background are pretty good at any other discipline requiring engineering skills.
I wouldn’t worry too much as to whether there’s propects NOW in Mauritius. You should perhaps enjoy what you are doing and the rest normally just follows its course.
Good luck with your course!
thnks Reshmi.
[...] Further studies for Mauritian Students [...]
[...] Further studies for Mauritian Students [...]
Mauritian students are eligible to apply for a range of scholarships and awards, and details are available on the Scholarships & Funding website.