This is not an uncommon situation. I addressed a related situation in my post, "Universities and Polytechnics That Give Automatic Admissions if candidates Do Not Meet Cut-Off Marks”. There, I mentioned about a dozen of schools that won’t let you go if you can consider another course than the one applied for.
And if you find yourself being offered a different course, my post, “What to Do If Offered Another Course” is meant to guide you on what next to do so you won’t mess things up.
Now, let's answer your question – is it advisable to accept a course you didn’t apply for?
Well, it all depends on some factors.
Let’s get to work.
Accept Another Course to Start With
If you’ve read my post on how to gain admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education (PART III), you must remember I made a quick reference to this. I used the phrase “to start with”.
I used those words because if you don’t accept the course, are you left with any other option than to wait till next year?
Staying home won’t help in the first place. Kindly accept the offer if you think there won’t be such or any other offer for the year.
This situation is different from a case where another school you’re not most interested in offers you admission. You may prefer a school you want most to offer you another course to being offered admission by a school you want least. I explained this more in the post, “What To Do if a Strange School Offer you Admission”
Similarly, it may be right to turn down admission from a least-wanted school to give room for another school to offer you admission. Though a kind of risky, it works. I detailed this in the post, “What Happens if Reject Admission on JAMB CAPS”.
Hence, my position here is for candidates to accept the course or admission if they’re not certain another offer will come for the year.
I used those words because if you don’t accept the course, are you left with any other option than to wait till next year?
Staying home won’t help in the first place. Kindly accept the offer if you think there won’t be such or any other offer for the year.
This situation is different from a case where another school you’re not most interested in offers you admission. You may prefer a school you want most to offer you another course to being offered admission by a school you want least. I explained this more in the post, “What To Do if a Strange School Offer you Admission”
Similarly, it may be right to turn down admission from a least-wanted school to give room for another school to offer you admission. Though a kind of risky, it works. I detailed this in the post, “What Happens if Reject Admission on JAMB CAPS”.
Hence, my position here is for candidates to accept the course or admission if they’re not certain another offer will come for the year.
Recommended: Can I Defer Admission, How, and on What Conditions?
Accept and Change Course Going to 200 Level
It’s possible to change your course to the one you truly love going to the 200 level. Most universities open this opportunity to their 100-level students while going to the 200-level.
However, it’s not that simple.
However, it’s not that simple.
The university policies may be unfavorable for you if you’re not academically unbeatable.
- You may be asked to produce the highest score or grade in your present course before you make it to the 200-level course. Can you?
- You may be offered the course though, yet some universities insist you start from the 100-level instead of the 200 level.
- You may only be upgraded to the 200 level of the same faculty. Most universities don't accept you to the 200 level if you’re not coming from the same faculty. The faculty of your 100-level course may decide if the upgrade will be possible or otherwise. From Education, you may not be able to change to Nursing. Hope you get that?
The summary here is simple. Find out what your proposed university wants as regards the change of course going to the 200 level if you must accept the other course. Don’t accept the course unless you know this. Your future may depend on it.
Accept the Course if it is Financially Affordable
In most cases, a candidate may want to go for anything because he has stayed home for years and want something to happen this year. Don’t be like that.
Be sure the course you’re offered is affordable. Some courses are just so costly and yet they’re not of interest. For example Theater Art, Zoology, etc. are a few courses that are necessarily very expensive. Yet, the future is blank in this part of the world.
The question is this, can you continue with these courses to the 400 level if the change, of course, is not eventually possible? I’ve seen candidates who lamented the cost of costumes at Theater Art. A poor girl decided to drop out and retake JAMB for Law. She lamented, “I’d rather spend high for Law than Theater Art”.
I’m not an advocate of going for competitive courses. Yet, you must be wise with your choices. What sense is there if you spend more money on Zoology than a friend who studies Medicine and Surgery?
Similarly, some universities are expensive; especially the private and state ones with scary tuitions. The worst part is you may be offered admission into an education course and yet be forced to pay above #200,000 or thereabout yearly.
I’ll advise you not to accept another course if the school fee will send your parents into bankruptcy.
Federal university fees can be so motherly; nothing may be bad in accepting another course from any of them. Even if you must write another UTME to gain a new admission next year, the fee spent at the 100 level won’t hurt that much.
Be sure the course you’re offered is affordable. Some courses are just so costly and yet they’re not of interest. For example Theater Art, Zoology, etc. are a few courses that are necessarily very expensive. Yet, the future is blank in this part of the world.
The question is this, can you continue with these courses to the 400 level if the change, of course, is not eventually possible? I’ve seen candidates who lamented the cost of costumes at Theater Art. A poor girl decided to drop out and retake JAMB for Law. She lamented, “I’d rather spend high for Law than Theater Art”.
I’m not an advocate of going for competitive courses. Yet, you must be wise with your choices. What sense is there if you spend more money on Zoology than a friend who studies Medicine and Surgery?
Similarly, some universities are expensive; especially the private and state ones with scary tuitions. The worst part is you may be offered admission into an education course and yet be forced to pay above #200,000 or thereabout yearly.
I’ll advise you not to accept another course if the school fee will send your parents into bankruptcy.
Federal university fees can be so motherly; nothing may be bad in accepting another course from any of them. Even if you must write another UTME to gain a new admission next year, the fee spent at the 100 level won’t hurt that much.
Recommended: Deadline for Accepting Admission On JAMB CAPS?
Accept if you Can Afford Admission by Transfer
In the section above, I actually looked at the economic aspect of things. Without money, you can’t just accept any course. In my opinion, it’s not rational.
However, if your sponsors or parents won’t lament the high cost of running such a new course, you can still accept it. And if you’re lucky, you can write another JAMB the following year or apply for the university change of course, going to 200, as earlier detailed.
Another opportunity opened to you is to apply for admission by transfer. This is the admission type where a student can move completely from one university to the other. If favored, you can continue at the level of study at your previous university and in any other related course.
... are well known for inter-university transfer admission. You will need to meet the admission office of the target university to know their modalities and if it will be possible to cross to another course of interest.
However, if your sponsors or parents won’t lament the high cost of running such a new course, you can still accept it. And if you’re lucky, you can write another JAMB the following year or apply for the university change of course, going to 200, as earlier detailed.
Another opportunity opened to you is to apply for admission by transfer. This is the admission type where a student can move completely from one university to the other. If favored, you can continue at the level of study at your previous university and in any other related course.
- University of Ilorin (UNILORIN),
- Ahmadu Bello University (ABU),
- University of Nigeria (UNN),
- Osun State University (UNIOSUN) etc.
Conclusion
When in need of admission, you can be so blind to some factors – then, you catch at anything. Don’t!
Give it some thought before accepting another course. Use the guide here to strategize things. That may be helpful.
Give it some thought before accepting another course. Use the guide here to strategize things. That may be helpful.
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