All About Community College

Hello Everyone!

I've been wanting to do this kind of a post ever started college. I am currently enrolled in a community college and I am doing 2 years of just general education courses and then transfer to a bigger university. I've been going to my community college for about 3 months now so I think I know a few things about community college. I just want to help the seniors in high school who are currently going through the application process and are having trouble deciding if they want to go to a community college or a university. Here's a list of pros and cons that I've come up with.


Pros:

1. Money

One of the main reasons that I went to a community college was the amount of money that you save. I was going to go to a 4 year university originally, but i would pay over $30,000 a year. A YEAR. That is so expensive. This year I'll probably have to pay less $7,000 for 9 or 10 classes. I would rather pay $7,000 a year than $30,000 year. This is an obvious pro.

2. Closer To Home

I live about 10-15 from my school and its so nice to be able to come home and see my family and my dog everyday. Some of my friends can only go home on breaks because they live so far away from their hometown. If you get homesick very easily then community college is the way to go.

3. Classes Are Smaller=Closer With The Professor

In community college, the classes are small. On average there are around 25-30 per class whereas in some big universities there are over 100 people in each class. By having smaller classes the professor can actually work one on one with you if you need any help. Also, the professor will actually know your name and who you are.

4. You Can Transfer Anywhere!

I haven't gone through this process yet, but so many people have been telling me that when you complete your general education courses then you can literally transfer anywhere. Unless you don't  have the right amount of credits to transfer to that specific university then thats an issue, but you can always meet with a counselor to view your options.

5. Good Option If You Have No Idea What To Do

I, like many students my age, have no idea what to do with their lives. I also back and forth with what I want to do and its hard to decide on one thing you want to do for the rest of your life. Community college is a great opportunity to explore your interests and take a couple class in the field that you would want to work in. You won't be breaking the bank while you do it.

Cons:

1.Social Life Is Non-Existent

When I was a senior in high school I thought I was going to have this amazing social life in college because that's what movies and TV shows depicted. They are wrong. People in community college or in mine at least never talk to each other. Its a very anti-social environment because some people are only there for a short period time and then they transfer or leave. That is one thing I really don't like about community college.

2. Its Boring

Let's face it community college is boring. Nothing really goes on and everyone is so disinterested in everything. There's no hype about football games or any sporting events, clubs are dismal, and students are just anti-social. I'm just so used to people getting excited over the homecoming game or a school dance in high school that its so weird that no one really cares.

3.Parking

I'm just throwing this one in for kicks. Parking at my school is terrible. There is currently over 29,000 students enrolled in my school and there's definitely not that many parking spots. My friend and I have to leave an hour before our first class starts(9 am) to get a parking spot and by a parking spot, I mean all the way in the back of the parking lot. Its just a hassle because if its raining you get all wet and then you don't look cute anymore.

As you can see, there are more pros than cons which is always good. If you do decide to go to community college, don't let anyone tell you that its for "stupid people" or for "poor people" because its definitely not true. I hope all of you seniors make the right decision and I hope you all have a fantastic day!