Hello! I’m currently a high school senior and I’ve decided that after graduation, I’m going to go to Oakland Community College for a year or two before transferring to a university. This is because of health issues in the past that caused some problems for me (I have thankfully recovered and I don’t see this being a problem in the future). I come from an Asian family, so along with the stigma of not going to a good university, I also don’t personally know anyone who has gone to a community college. I’m hoping some of you can answer my questions and offer some advice.
It’s been suggested to me that I should take one class at OCC over the summer to get used to the campus and how college courses work. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of doing this rather than starting in the fall like I had originally planned?
Another thing I wanted more information on is what kinds of classes I should take. Everyone tells me to get the general requirements out of the way, but besides knowing that that would be English, math, and such, I’m not really sure what that means. I don’t have a specific major in mind, but I’m interested in biology and social science. What classes should I take (and what should I do in general) to get into the best university possible?
I also have heard that at a community college, I would miss out on the full “college experience”. It’s apparently harder to make friends and there’s no parties or real social scene. People say it’s overrated, but what can I do to make the most of my time there?
The last concern of mine is about the stigma I’ll face. Like I mentioned before, I’m Asian so all of my family-friends went to top schools. Even my close friends from high school are all going to universities. I’ve noticed people act differently when discussing college with me than when they do with others who are going to good colleges. For example, one of my uncles was asking me and my friend about school. I said I was going to go to OCC and he simply smiled and didn’t say anything more. When my friend said she got into UMich and was waiting for a response from Brown, he began to ask her further questions about what she wanted to major in and such. I know I shouldn’t care what others think, but I can’t help but be hurt when people react like this. How can I stop putting myself down and remember that this is what’s best for me?
If anyone can also offer some general advice on attending community college after high school, I would appreciate it!