Community College Differences?

College Search & Selection Community Colleges
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bjt223 writes: I don't really care about stats.

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Kind of says it all, doesn't it? How can you have any kind of rational discussion with a person who says they don't want to look at any objective evidence, they're just going to go with their gut feel. Kinda sounds like the current US President, and we all know how well that's working out :(</p>

<p>There are many intelligent and motivated students at CCs, there for a variety of reasons. When they go on to 4-year colleges they do just fine. However that doesn't eliminate another fact, that there are at the same time truckloads of students in the CCs who quickly abandon any pretense of getting a 4-year degree. Peer effects are real. While they're enrolled these are going to be your classmates, affecting the level of the class and influencing the community standard on how seriously academics are to be taken.</p>

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Beside people who say transfer students can't succeed is bunch of ignorant bull****

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Nobody has said that. You sound a tad defensive here, or maybe you're just not paying much attention to what people have actually written (which does not augur well for your college studies). When someone asks how a CC differs from a U, any fair picture has to point out not just the students who go on to do just fine but the presence of a sizeable number number that will fall by the wayside.
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Texas has a good statewide information system and data analysis capacity. Detailed reports track student retention, progress, and graduation for all public institutions as well as all types of transfer activity between all types of schools. Texas also monitors the transfer and subsequent performance of first-time freshmen who enroll for 12 or more semester credit hours before transferring to a four-year institution. The state does not calculate a statewide transfer rate. About 29% of first-time community college students transfer to or graduate from a public four-year institution after six years.
State</a> Policy and Community College Baccalaureate Transfer

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<p>All of the classes I have ever taken at a CC have all been drastically harder than the classes ive taken at a few different universities. I was actually quite shocked.</p>

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<p>Just like any other academic institution. Depends on the individual CC/U. </p>

<p>My experience, in difficulty:
CC < High school < Uni
But that's just my experience. Obviously it depends on the caliber of the school/major/course load/etc.</p>

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<p>CCs vary quite a bit. The CCs in our state had a lot of middle-school and high-school level courses. The CC that our daughter attends (out-of-state) lists a transfer to MIT and a bunch of other universities. Maybe that would make for a good way to rank community colleges - transfer destinations.</p>

<p>I've heard that community college in California is dirt cheap and that many students go there for two years before transferring to 4-year universities to save money. I assume the educational quality must be decent to allow that.</p>

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<p>I've had brilliant instructors who taught challenging courses, and I've had pushovers whose tests are solely scantron based and are directly from book quizzes. It really depends on the classes you take.
Easiest classes I've taken at CC: Intro to Soc, Psych
Hardest: any math, econ</p>

<p>We will see if I'm in for a rude awakening when I transfer to a UC.</p>

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<p>Hey MikeMan, I think we got little bit misunderstanding. When I say "I don't care about that stats," it's doesn't mean I ignore that evidences. Yes I know i have my disadvantages, but that way of life. I agree that there's some cc students isn't willing to pull out effort in their education, but it doesn't mean that other 40% people would be like that as well. I might got little caught up on statistics and I might got little rattle up by that second statement (I just misread someone post), it's just that I was always being told that "I can't do it" or "I would never make it because 'I'm a CC" from UC people I talk to.' This is what motivate me, prove people wrong. I'm only just stating that not all of CC people is like that and there's lot more motivate students willing to put on their effort. They just go to CC for vary of reasons. Also, it's depend on CC college if they prepare the student for 4 years university.</p>

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<p>I attended community college for a semester. Like one of the posters on the first page, I'd been accepted to my first choice college for spring semester, so I took the opportunity to take a bunch of GEs are my local community college.</p>

<p>The CC was small compared to a university (but not compared to my LAC that I ended up going to). The main campus was one large building, with tons of classrooms, a cafeteria, study lounges, and an outside area for studying / smoking. There were a couple of branch campuses that were a lot smaller - small buildings.</p>

<p>I found my CC classes weren't that difficult compared to high school, but I also went to an extremely difficult, competitive, college prep HS. I was able to get straight As in classes I didn't think I could do that well in, like biology and logic. That definitely came with studying, though, and help from the profs, it wasn't like I slacked off and got straight As. My courses at my LAC were overall more challenging, but I wouldn't say the CC classes weren't worthwhile. One advantage of a CC I found is that all the classes tend to be small and taught by teaching-oriented profs / masters level professionals.</p>

<p>The student body really varied academically. At 18, I was one of the youngest people in all of my classes, even in the daytime ones. I met students who were highly motivated and at the CC for financial reasons, students who didn't care and never studied, and students who just couldn't hack it. There were also adults who had degrees and were taking courses for pure enrichment. That's the thing about a CC - they take everyone in the district, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's not true that all CC students are slackers and/or "dumb kids," you just get a greater range than in a selective 4-year institution.</p>

<p>Socially, the CC sucked. Everyone went to their classes and went home, and making friends was next to impossible. I didn't get to know anyone well at the CC, which was a far cry from the close friends I went onto make at the LAC. It was a lonely semester, with the hs friends all gone away to college. I kept busy by also working part-time and continuing to partake in my favorite hobbies from my high school years.</p>

<p>All in all I think the CC is a good educational experience and a supportive environment for students who choose to take advantage of the resources. Academically I had a good experience there (that also beefed up my self-confidence before I went onto 4-year school), so I think the main disadvantages for the dedicated student are social.</p>

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<p>So if classes are easier in community college, why do people even go to universities? I can go to community college, get a 4.0, and transfer to almost any university of my dreams. Yeah that sounds like it sucks.</p>

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<p>From what I know, one difference between a community college and a university is that universities tend to be bigger and have a much wider variety of classes to take. Also, the atmosphere is different. In a university it is easier to make friends than at a community college, since most people at a community college just go straight home after class. So people at a university tend to have more of a social life. However, people at community colleges do have a good social life if their high school friends still live in the same area and have not moved.</p>

<p>Also, the teachers in community college tend to be more caring and actually notice you. Teachers in community college will actually know your name and know you without you having to go the extra mile. In universities, if you want your professor to be close to you, then you will have to make that reach.</p>

<p>What most people say about community colleges being easier tends to be true though it may vary in the region you live. I know here, the community colleges are basically an extension of high school since it is very easy to get straight As. However, I have heard that our honors program at our community college is harder than the regular community college. Community colleges also tend to have people who just really don't care that much and are only going to college because their parents forced them to. So you will be dealing with people who don't care about their education just as they did in high school. Of course there are people like this in universities, however not as much compared to a community college.</p>

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<p>MorningTheft- I doubt getting even a 4.0 in community college would get you to the university of your dreams. CC's vary in rigor and universities, I would imagine, are aware of that. It's just like high school, some people go to a good high school, get lower grades, and still might get into better schools than valedictorians in easier schools. Plus, transfer rate at a lot of schools is significantly lower than acceptance.</p>

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lets wait for jman to explain away the stat showing 6 out of 10 entering CC students claiming they'll eventually get a 4-yer degree don't even make it past 1 semester, and only 1/3 in the end who claim to want a 4-year degree end up even enrolling in a 4-year college

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<p>geez, thanks for not reading my post. all i said was that at the CC i take classes at, not all the kids and lazy and unmotivated. and your "stats" show that. i also said you will find plenty of lazy students at four year colleges. get off your high horse.</p>

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<p>i hate to offend anyone hear who this might apply too...</p>

<p>i graduated last year from HS. i talked to a lot of kids about where they were going and they picked basically either UC's or cal states. some of the kids were mad that they didn't get into the places they wanted, and when I brought up the prospect of transferring from a CC they said crap like "OMG no way" and basically shunned it. personally I'd rather go to a CC and transfer than go to UCR or something. but a lot of kids think they'll look stupid going to a CC or they want to leave home. i was the same way but i don't pay for my edu. so what can i do? so many kids from my school went to UCR b/c that's probably the only UC they got into but it's sad that they reject any alternative.</p>

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<p>Pride and ego > pragmatic.</p>

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<p>I use to be ignorant and generalize community colleges just like many have on here because my experience had been limited to a class or two. </p>

<p>I attended a four year school where all my professors had their PhDs. I am now at various community colleges throughout Los Angeles taking classes to hopefully transfer to a new institution instead of going back to my previous four year school.</p>

<p>The truth is that it VARIES. A lot of it depends on teaching style. Just because a professor is good on paper does not mean he's great at teaching, the same could be said for a teacher who isn't as qualified but knows the subject and teaches it like no other. At one of my current community colleges we have everything from state school grads to Ivy League school grads. My English professor attended Harvard LAW! and that's that he comes in to teach once a week on top of his full time job. There's other professors in different departments who have attended top 10 schools for undergrad/grad/doctorates, but you'd never know it unless you asked or researched them online.</p>

<p>There's bound to be difficult and easy classes regardless of where you attend. I think the one true benefit of a community college that you don't necessarily get at 4 year schools is that it teaches you to be extremely extremely independant and goal oriented. Once you're at a 4 year school it becomes a situation where one might get comfortable and slack off a bit with grades, while at a community college, because you still need to transfer, you develop that work ethic that hopefully follows through once you transfer.</p>

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<p>I've been to a CC before. The classes are kinda like AP classes so I wouldn't say that it was incredibly easy. The university only seemed one level higher(i.e what i have to do for an A at the CC would get me a B here).</p>

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<p>One reason that the classes are easier is that you’re actually taught by a PhD (usually) instead of a grad student. There’s very little “self-teaching”.</p>

<p>Another plus is that everyone there takes class seriously. The majority of people aren’t stupid, they just didn’t take school seriously in high school or at a 4-year college.</p>

<p>The social life part is non-existent, but it’s a great way to rebound if you got bad grades.</p>

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<p>ive taken around 35 credits at 3 different CC’s and the classes were always harder than at the University. Maybe its just the way I learn, but the work load was not even comparable.</p>

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<p>I’m in an AAS program at a community college (as well as working on an AA transfer degree) and my classes are not easy. They’re mentally rigorous and often physically tiring because the degree I’m in involves a lot of outdoor lab classes. (Yeah, it sure was “easy” struggling through thigh high snow in the winter to measure the height of trees. FOR THREE HOURS STRAIGHT.) This next quarter I will have classes that start at 7:30 every day and last until 3:30 or 4:30 four days of the week. (One day I get done around noon.) Not all the programs are like this, this one is a killer. But because it teaches the practical knowledge as well as the “theoretical” knowledge, so to speak, the state agencies come directly to the college to hire.</p>

<p>There is barely a person in my classes who is just-after-high-school aged; most, like me, are returning adult students who want a new career. And if you think adult students aren’t prepared to study, well, you are incorrect. They are well-aware whose money they are spending . . . their own. No doubt some of the kids who are “traditional” college age just screw around . . . but that is true at four-year colleges too. </p>

<p>I’m sure this does vary from CC to CC. But please don’t lump all community colleges together as being “easy” or assume that people are there because they’re stupid.</p>

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<p>I’m still in high school and have only taken an online course from community college, but I do consider community colleges to be a god thing that lead to success. I can speak from my dad’s experience. Granted, his experience was many years ago, but take it for what it’s worth. He got ok grades in high school but went to CC to save money. He transferred from that community college to an ivy, and he’ll still say that some of his best professors were at the community college. He also says that the CC prepared him for college. He said that if he went to college straight from high school he would have flunked out, so in that regard it was also very good for him.</p>

<p>I’m sure some people are rolling their eyes because this isn’t a personal experience, but because of his experience with CC I don’t look down upon friends that say they’re going to community college. It’s not for me, but we’re all trying to get the same place and I recognize that there are many ways to get there be it through 4 years of Harvard or CC then college.</p>

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<p>Stop doubting. At the California CC that I attend (for fun; I’m a parent with an Ivy degree) students regularly transfer to Berkeley and UCLA. There’s usually a Stanford transfer or so every year.</p>

<p>The Spanish classes I took at CC were definitely not easier than the language classes I took at my Ivy school decades ago. The calculus classes my son is taking there are way harder than the AP Calculus class I had when I was in high school.</p>

<p>The majority of college students in the US are in community colleges, which implies that there are a whole lot of community colleges. To judge all community colleges from experience at one community college is rather like making pronouncements about boats after seeing a canoe.</p>