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Hello there, please I'm confused as to what course to study either in a polytechnic as in Mech Engine or a university as in Physics.
Naturally, I prefer Mech Engine as a course than Physics; but I have this feeling that in Nigeria a university graduate is more respected than a polytechnic.
In addition, a friend of mine is a Civil Engineer from a poly; he says it's nice going to a good poly, but most companies will employ you as a trainee...
This whole thing has left me confused, moreso that I'm inexperienced.

Hmmm.....HND Mech Engrg vs BSc Physics.

That's a tough one to crack.

It depends on a couple of factors including your age, the institutions in view, your career interest, etc. Give a little more detail

But lemme correct one impression...even if you attend a university, you will most likely start as a trainee. So the trainee issue doesn't matter.

Ok. The Details:
1. Yabatech vs Unilag
2. Luv Mech Eng though still like Physics
3. Was initially adviced to study a professional course as in engineering.
4. Young; 19yrs.

Difficult one, I must admit. I think you will have to make your decision at the end of the day.

@19 years, you aren't young oo. Not in this days that you see 20-22 years old graduates all around.

Whichever one you choose, I will advise that you try hard and change to BSc Mech Engrg within a year (either through writing another UME or requesting for a change of course if you go for Physics). If after one year you are not able to change, just stay focused.

With an HND Mech Engineering, you will face a lot of perceived 'discrimination' in the labour market. Job opportunities are fewer for HND graduates. And you may be faced with inferiority complex issues which can be psychologically damaging. But the opportunities are there. With your OND/HND in Mech Eng, you can work in many oil and gas / engineering coys as maintenance technician, operator and in some cases engineer. Mechanical engineering is the most versatile field in engineering. Besides, engineering is a professional course.

Physics graduates have fewer opportunities in the labour market compared to their engineering graduates. But you will have opportunities to compete with other university graduates in job opportunities in sectors that employ BSc graduates irrespective of course of study e.g. banks, auditing firms, ministries, some multinational firms. You can also choose to pursue advanced careers in electronics, IT or geophysics. They have have various scholarship and academic opportunities abroad (being a science/research inclined course).

I can't say it all here. So the choice is yours, really.

Woow...! This is a tight corner!
Anyways, thank you so much for your plane advice; I've also done some little findings about it...
I got almost the same advice as you have said. I am interested in the 'change of course' thing, I mean the internal one after year 1 in d uni.
My findings was that; it's possible to switch if I have a GPA of 4.5. The troubling aspect for me now is that, l was told that a student with such points is a potential 1st Class student. "Will your HOD release you...?" a lecturer told me. I found it hard to believe... in fact I was speechless. Huh...

My findings about Yaba is about the same problem though I'm not sure of it's authenticity.
Students I know there are of the opinion that I could change to the uni through DE after OND,but I'll need a Distinction to guarantee my admission; the problem is that "How many students do they award Distinction to, regardless of their worth?" said the students. This too I found hard to believe.

Please once again, how do you think I can gamble this with better chances?

Henadek: Woow...! This is a tight corner!
Anyways, thank you so much for your plane advice; I've also done some little findings about it...
I got almost the same advice as you have said. I am interested in the 'change of course' thing, I mean the internal one after year 1 in d uni.
My findings was that; it's possible to switch if I have a GPA of 4.5. The troubling aspect for me now is that, l was told that a student with such points is a potential 1st Class student. "Will your HOD release you...?" a lecturer told me. I found it hard to believe... in fact I was speechless. Huh...

My findings about Yaba is about the same problem though I'm not sure of it's authenticity.
Students I know there are of the opinion that I could change to the uni through DE after OND,but I'll need a Distinction to guarantee my admission; the problem is that "How many students do they award Distinction to, regardless of their worth?" said the students. This too I found hard to believe.

Please once again, how do you think I can gamble this with better chances?

Foremost, congratulations.
If truly you prefer to study Mechanical Engineering, I'd advise you to opt for yabatech and later go through D.E to Unilag. Guy forget, it's very possible to make distinction in Yabatech. Though in a class, we hardly see two students finishing with distinction, but it's very possible if you know how to play the game well. If you could hit distinction in your 1st semester which is the easiest, you've stood a high chance of finishing with it provided you never jettison your primary aim. And I believe you wrote all the exams yourself. Somebody like you with two admission offers is likely to make distinction - you're the material.
But the hope of changing from Physics to Mech. after your 1st year may prove difficult because it's from eng. dept to the sciences unlike the reverse which is easier. And some other factors like you've stated above.

Another thing is you can write another Jamb in your ND2. By then you would have gathered more knowledge in Yabatech which will be of tremendous advantage to you and increase your chances of graduation with a very high grade when you finally get to Unilag. An examplary is a guy that finished from Maths/Stat dept. with 3.66 and he wrote another Jamb in ND 2. He scored 305 with 100/100 in Maths, and was admitted to Uniben. Guess what, he had 5.00/5.00 in his first semester. Why? He had already taken most of the courses in Yabatech.

Physics is not bad either. But I won't lie to you, it's easier having high grade in Eng. depts than sciences (especially physics in Unilag).
It's now your choice. Egbon has told you enough between Physics and Mech. So the choice is yours.

Wish you the best!

umm... pls OMA4U I didn't get you right; your statement "But the hope of changing from
Physics to Mech. after your 1st
year may prove difficult because
it's from eng. dept to the
sciences unlike the reverse
which is easier." Did you mean changing from Sciences to Eng. cos It'll be from Physics to Mech...

Henadek: umm... pls OMA4U I didn't get you right; your statement "But the hope of changing from
Physics to Mech. after your 1st
year may prove difficult because
it's from eng. dept to the
sciences unlike the reverse
which is easier." Did you mean changing from Sciences to Eng. cos It'll be from Physics to Mech...

Oh! Dear, sorry. It's a mistake. I actually mean from sciences to engr.
So did you get me now?

yep,tnx