College fair raises awareness of university opportunities

By VonDez Phipps
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A number of students took advantage of the wealth of information relating to tertiary level education provided at the recently concluded College Fair 2008, which was organized by the Nevis Public Library and held at the Old Girls’ School building, Victoria Road.

The expo brought together almost ten of the most popular universities in the region and North America including St. Georges University, University of the West Indies and University of Saint Marten.

The event was primarily geared toward allowing students a chance to interact with the representatives of the respective universities so as to prepare students for making the best decisions with regard to tertiary level education.

Head Librarian and organizer of the event, Lornette Hanley stated that the college fair did not only serve as a recruiting mechanism for the schools, but also to offer students the necessary exposure for preparing for university.

“Most times students go online or may know of a college, but this is different; it allows much more interaction with a more varied scope of schools. It may also be ideal for students to find a more suitable university for their specific needs rather than just being told about the courses, offers and experiences of a university.

The dialogue and contact building will be very critical and may help to guide them to a better understanding of the application and matriculation processes.

“The good thing is that the students would have met with more than one university representative whom they may very well meet at their school of choice. This is the kind of networking we are encouraging through this medium.”

Hanley noted that many universities are willing to have students from the region and added that students should take advantage of every opportunity to advance academically. She mentioned however, that the response was modest as only a few students came out to the event.