Page 14 - Interface February 2026
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BEYOND THE BROCHURE:
BEYOND THE BROCHURE:
What really matters when
choosing a university
hoosing a public university or private Nadia Landman, Head of Academic Quality Management Systems
higher education institution is one at ADvTECH’s Independent Institute of Education.
Cof the most important decisions
prospective students will ever make, and Landman notes that while open days help, and polished brochures
also one of the hardest. While hundreds of showcasing impressive campuses reassure, prospective students
thousands of students have already been should attempt to gain a good understanding of what everyday life
accepted into further study for 2026, many will actually look like once the semester starts.
others still have to make the call before the
official start of the academic year. WHEN REALITY HITS AND STUDENT SUPPORT BECOMES CRUCIAL
The real test of an institution rarely happens in week one. It happens
For these students, and senior high students a few weeks in, when deadlines stack up, confidence dips, work
who will have to consider their next steps in pressures increase, and life doesn’t politely pause for assignments.
coming months and years, it is important
to look beyond the brochure, an education “Every institution talks about student support,” says Landman, “but
expert says. what matters is whether that support is visible and accessible when
students begin to struggle, not only when they’ve already failed.”
“For some, choosing a higher education
institution is about taking the first For parents, that may mean asking how an institution identifies first-
independent step. For others, it’s about year students who are falling behind and what support is then made
returning to study after years in the available. For adult learners, it means asking different but equally
workplace, fitting lectures around practical questions: Who do I contact when work deadlines clash with
meetings, assignments around family assessments? How accessible are lecturers outside of office hours?
life, and ambition around reality,” says Are sessions recorded and made available should I miss a lecture?
INTERFACEDigimag | FEBRUARY 2026 | 12
