Going to a community college for the first year or two before transferring is something that I am strongly considering. I feel as if it is financially responsible (even though I could afford to go to a four year school for all of my college career) and I feel as if it would allow me to stay at home for a little while longer and gather some more strength, independence and knowledge of myself before going off on my own. My concern, however, is that by doing this I may not get the best college experience and I would meet less people/be provided with less experiences.
So I am seeking out the opinions of any and all those qho went to a community college first and then transferred to a four year. Do you feel as if your social life suffered? Was the education just as good in both places? If you were to do it again, would you do the same or do something different? If so, what? Thank you in advance!
I worked 4 nights a week, roughly from 4 to midnight, in a local restaurant. The kids I worked with were my social life. We carpooled to CC together, went on vacations together, hung out after work together. In fact, the day of our CC graduation, the owner of the restaurant had to scramble for staff, since we all graduated together-- exactly 2 years after our high school graduation. Two years later, we all graduated from the same university.
I was a math major, and think the education I got (Nassau CC on Long Island) was certainly a quality education. I was well prepared for the math courses I took at the university.
I would do the exact same thing again.
But I don’t want my son to attend NCC. It’s a large school, and I think he would fall between the cracks there. I think it’s a great school for some kids-- maybe my daughter down the road-- but I don’t think it’s the right school for my son.
I attended a NYS cc in the late 80’s. I worked 40 hours/week at a restaurant (night shift) with other college kids while I was in school. My social life was fairly active and I’m still friends with several of the people I met there. I loved the classes and professors. I chose challenging courses at the cc and got an excellent education. The smartest teachers I ever had were the philosophy and goverment/economics professors I had at the cc.
After I graduated, I transferred to a private NYS college not far from NYC. I worked on campus and got involved, so my social life there was active too. I think the courses and professors there were no better or worse than those at the cc. I did get the impression that my professors at the cc were there to teach (it was their primary job), but several professors I had at the private college seemed to be teaching on the side.
I left there (due to the expense) and transferred to another NYS private in Downstate NY as a commuter student. The classes were challenging, but no more difficult than the other two colleges I attended. My social life was tied more to my job than to school because I was working full-time and only attended school part-time.
I finished my Bachelor’s as a commuter at a SUNY. I worked full-time and attended classes full-time but I was in my late 20’s and engaged by then, so my social life was centered around friends in the community. The cc and 4-year SUNY were my favorite schools because the classes were challenging and I liked the professors better. I had a job in my field (broadcasting) within 2 months of graduation and within 2 years I was hired by a network in a much larger market, so attending a cc and state school didn’t hurt my career any. If you can afford to attend college without having to take breaks to raise money, it’ll be easier for you.
Happykid completed her AA at our local community college, then transferred to a public U in that state. She has absolutely no regrets. For her particular major, the program at her CC was as good as, if not better than, the first two years of that major at any of the colleges and universities in that state.
For you it sounds like a CC may be the right decision. They aren’t as a class identical to the 4-year experience, but then again even in 4-years there is variation between campuses and even between different majors on the same campus. The goals you have of "strength, independence and knowledge of myself " likely outweigh any disadvantages in terms of social life and rigor.
I don’t believe that community colleges are inherently less rigorous than 4-year schools. NYS has some very good community colleges and not everyone attends them because they can’t get into more rigorous schools. Many go because their families can’t afford to pay for all 4 years at a sleep away college. Taking on debt because the alternative includes a cc is a mistake that I fear is made by many for no good reason. I have relatives and friends who started at cc and transferred to some very elite schools. One ended up at Harvard Med by way of cc. Maybe other state systems aren’t as good as ours, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the NYS cc’s to our in state kids.