Community Colleges: A Smart Choice
If your reason for seeking education beyond high school is to get out into the workplace and make a good living, don't overlook the option of attending your local community college for two years in lieu of a four-year university. Community colleges are evolving to meet the needs of today's students and the benefits to you can be staggering. Here's why:
1. Your degree will cost you less. For an average of $2,400 per year for two years (compare to about $12,000 per year for four years), the community college student's savings is considerable. Over 11 million community college students are demanding that they get what they pay for every year. For their investment, they benefit from hands-on experience while learning, depending on the area of study, have close to 100 percent job placement following completion. For students who earn a 3.7 grade point average or higher, a prestigious Phi Theta Kappa membership is well within reach and offers many networking opportunities just as it does for a traditional college graduate.
2. Less is more when it comes to students in a classroom. Whereas public and private colleges boost lecture halls full of students, the typical community college classroom is for around 30 students. And, with tuition costs being so much lower, there's more time (and money) for most community college students to indulge in the exploration of their interests before having to commit to one area of study. Classes aren't restricted to weekdays; in fact, there are ample evening and weekend classes to choose from for students who have kept a full-time job.
3. The faculty's single focus is to educate you. The lure of research and publishing tend to get the attention of college professors, leaving teaching assistants to lead most of the classroom time for underclassmen on most traditional campuses. This isn't the case in community colleges because the professors come from the actual workplace in order to teach the up and coming workforce. In fact, it's not uncommon for students of community colleges to benefit from networking with their teachers in search of their first job.
4. Location is everything. Since community colleges are almost always located within a city, students often commute from home and save money on housing costs. The feeling of 'community' is tangible and students don't feel lost in a maze. There are, however, plenty of collegiate activities such as athletics, student government and social functions. The community college campus is just as vibrate and active as any other university, without many of the negatives.
Your post-education success can be positively impacted by the smart decision to attend a community college instead of a four-year university. As well, you would be in very good company. Did you know that John Walsh (host of 'America's Most Wanted'), Fred Haise (Apollo 13 Astronaut) and Walt Disney are among a distinguished list of community college students?
1. Your degree will cost you less. For an average of $2,400 per year for two years (compare to about $12,000 per year for four years), the community college student's savings is considerable. Over 11 million community college students are demanding that they get what they pay for every year. For their investment, they benefit from hands-on experience while learning, depending on the area of study, have close to 100 percent job placement following completion. For students who earn a 3.7 grade point average or higher, a prestigious Phi Theta Kappa membership is well within reach and offers many networking opportunities just as it does for a traditional college graduate.
2. Less is more when it comes to students in a classroom. Whereas public and private colleges boost lecture halls full of students, the typical community college classroom is for around 30 students. And, with tuition costs being so much lower, there's more time (and money) for most community college students to indulge in the exploration of their interests before having to commit to one area of study. Classes aren't restricted to weekdays; in fact, there are ample evening and weekend classes to choose from for students who have kept a full-time job.
3. The faculty's single focus is to educate you. The lure of research and publishing tend to get the attention of college professors, leaving teaching assistants to lead most of the classroom time for underclassmen on most traditional campuses. This isn't the case in community colleges because the professors come from the actual workplace in order to teach the up and coming workforce. In fact, it's not uncommon for students of community colleges to benefit from networking with their teachers in search of their first job.
4. Location is everything. Since community colleges are almost always located within a city, students often commute from home and save money on housing costs. The feeling of 'community' is tangible and students don't feel lost in a maze. There are, however, plenty of collegiate activities such as athletics, student government and social functions. The community college campus is just as vibrate and active as any other university, without many of the negatives.
Your post-education success can be positively impacted by the smart decision to attend a community college instead of a four-year university. As well, you would be in very good company. Did you know that John Walsh (host of 'America's Most Wanted'), Fred Haise (Apollo 13 Astronaut) and Walt Disney are among a distinguished list of community college students?
About the Author:
American Educational Guidance Center staff writer Julie Clark Robinson writes on subjects which include conducting a successful school search, the value of online degrees and continuing education for adults.