Whats wrong with community college?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Money is a huge problem for me. Huuuggggge.<br>
I've gotten into some U's but even with the FA I can't deal with it.</p>

<p>I'm a senior and I'm not a slacker, I've taken many honors and AP courses, My GPA & SAT aren't bad, I come from a nationally ranked school and have great extracurriculars but I've been thinking about just going to community college to save money and get an associates so I can get a job quicker. Then perhaps transfer after I build myself up and save up some money.</p>

<p>However whenever I mention the thought of going to community college people give me the "Oh. ew. your a failure" look or a "Can't you go anywhere else?"</p>

<p>Why does community college carry such a negative connotation?
It is possible to be successful if you take the community college route isn't it?</p>

<p>:(</p>

2

<p>Have you looked into scholarships? Grants? Federal Loans?
What about public state universities? Their generally a lot cheaper than privates...</p>

<p>No, community colleges aren't bad, ofcourse you can be successful if you go to community college. Go for 2 years or w/e and get good grades, then transfer.</p>

3

<p>Don't worry about the "stigma". When you go to community college, everyone else there will be going to community college too (<em>duh!</em>), so the people who you'll be spending time with won't think anything of it. Perceptions about reality tend to get very skewed in high school circles.</p>

4

<p>There is absolutely nothing wrong with going to CC. It is a great way to save money for the last two years of college. CC sometimes gets a bad rap because some students are not "engaged" (maybe focused on daytime jobs or home life). You'll get out of school what you put into it. Concentrate on your studies and you'll get a lot from it.</p>

5

<p>If going to a good university is like dining at a fine restaurant, going to a community college is like picking up drive-thru food. That's not all bad. I do drive-thru from time to time when circumstances favor it. But IMO, the majority of the benefit of the college experience comes from outside the classroom, and the extent of that benefit is dependent upon the quality of your peer group.</p>

6

<p>The problem with CC (at least where I come from) is that most people stay at home with their parents while they work on their coursework so that they can transfer to a university to finish off a BA/BS. The reality, however, is that very few actually make the jump from CC to State U for various reasons. People just end up getting "stuck" in the area.</p>

7

<p>^ That's the issue I see with it too... It seems like so many people that go to the local CC end up getting stuck in the area forever. That's not necessarily a bad thing. But I think CC's get a bad rep because so many of the students don't go on to do a whole lot. They may live a fine life, but I don't think many go on to make loads of money or do anything big. But there's NOTHING wrong with going to a CC. There are many advantages. And if you have the desire and the drive to go on and get a really good job or something like that, then of course you can be extremely successful coming out of a CC. At our local CC, we have several pro-athlete alumni, an Astronaut, and the biggest car dealership owner (it seems like he owns a dealership for every car company in existence lol) in the Florida panhandle also graduated from there. </p>

<p>This board is filled with high achieving students who are dying to make it into Ivy caliber schools or other top 50 universities. And that's fine (I'm one of them). However, that's not for everyone, and going on to raise a family with a mediocre job in the area you went to community college isn't a bad thing. Just consider your goals, and chose the best route possible to get there.</p>

8

<p>CC's tend to serve several populations, all of whom are enrolled in the same classes. You have retired people (and sometimes working people in evening classes) who take classes for general interest. You have students who due to financial or other constraints intend on getting a 4-year degree but start in a CC. You have some students who finally got serious about education after HS when they realized they weren't working hard enough in HS to get into a 4-year college, and our country can be proud that there's a way for these people to get back on track (in contrast to a country like France, where a one-time placement exam in HS determines whether you can go to college, and which one).</p>

<p>And finally you have the students that people often have in mind when they 'dis CCs, those who maybe don't belong there. These days its somewhat frowned upon to finish HS with no intention of college. Many parents expect their kids to go to college, even if Johnny has no interest in doing so. The CC plays the role of bridge between HS and the "real world" for these students, allowing them to at least start attending a college before quitting.</p>

<p>And there are lots of these students! Stats show that about 2/3 HS graduates enroll in college, and that 42% of all students in college are at 2-year schools. The outcome stats that follow kids over 6-8 years clearly show this "CC bridge-out effect". Not even 1/3 of the HS students who start at a CC will get a college degree (2 or 4 year). Some attrition is due to various non-academic reasons; people get married, have families to support, get kicked out of their house and have to start working, etc. But for many students a CC is a face-saving way to make the bridge out from HS without refusing to go to college. </p>

<p>
[quote]
The study then examined NELS students, who represent more traditional students who enroll in a community college soon after high school graduation. As shown in figure E, among students who intended to obtain a degree, 21 percent had attained a bachelor's degree or higher..
The</a> Education Statistics Quarterly: Vol. 5, Issue 2, 2003: Postsecondary Education -- Community College Students: Goals, Academic Preparation, and Outcomes

[/quote]
Peer effects play a big role in how people do in life; in HS, in college, at work. There is a fair amount of social pressure to conform to what the community standards are if you want to get along and make friends. So if only 1 out of 5 of the more traditional kids at a CC are going to end up with a 4-year degree, 80%+ of your peers are probably not going to be setting good examples of how to study, attitude towards academics, or be good to get together with to figure out homework and study. Ask too many questions in class, complain the instructor is going at too slow a pace or is just checking off the homework was turned in and not bothering to actually correct them, and someone is likely to set you straight as to school norms (perhaps with their fists).</p>

<p>Keep in mind, too, that CC students tend to come from the local area and live at home. So social opportunities are going to be different, as well as the sense of getting away from home and taking part in the college experience.</p>

<p>I'm not saying not to do it; for many students a CC turns out to be the best choice for a number of reasons. And there are CC's that do much better than average; often ones located near a major U since kids enroll their with intent to xfer such as Santa Monica CC near UCLA, or in suburbs with high average incomes such as DeAnza CC in Silicon Valley.</p>

<p>But since the OP asked about differences, its worth understanding what they are.</p>

9

<p>I really appreciate mikemac's post, because that was the concern I was going to post--there is some evidence that attending community college can depress some students' aspirations and attainment. </p>

<p>BUT there are certainly community colleges which do a good job supporting students' plans to transfer, and there are many students who go on to succeed in their original plans to get a bachelor's degree. You can certainly be one of them, but it pays to go in with your eyes open, as mikemac noted.</p>

10

<p>There are 2 other issues that should be pointed out: 1) differences in making friends 2) time is compressed.</p>

<p>When the frosh show up, everyone is in the same boat -- nervous & knowing few if any people on campus. One of the easiest time to make new acquaintances (some of which will turn into friends) is the early period of frosh year. By junior year the continuing students have had a lot of their friends 2 years, sharing a history with them. It's not impossible to make new friends as a junior xfer, and the more outgoing you are the easier it is, but a lot of xfers can tell you what it feels like to go into a classroom of 25 people and it seems like 24 of the other people in there already know each other.</p>

<p>As for time, it might take a semester to really feel at home at a college -- learning about the clubs, what leisure time activities are around, finding good hangouts, getting to know the rep of different classes and profs so you can make better choices when signing up for classes, just generally finding your way around. As a frosh you have 7 semesters after that to go; as a junior xfer you have 3. Again on the matter of clubs, it might be common frosh year to casually go thru a bunch of clubs until you find a fit, soph year take part in the ones you like, junior year take a leadership role which is both rewarding and looks good on grad-school apps when you apply senior year. Junior xfers have less time to do this. For that matter, if you're thinking of the greek system (sororities and frats) it might be harder to join because they prefer members who have a few years left in school to help keep the house going, and because many students take an easy semester when they pledge since it consumes a lot of time and its harder to work in an easy semester as a junior.</p>

<p>The time factor shows up in other areas; if you think about applying to grad school which is commonly done senior year, kids that have been at the school since frosh year have had 3 years to get to know faculty members for recs. Those interested in research have had 3 years to build up responsibilities in the lab so they have something significant to list.</p>

11

<p>" Whats wrong with community college? "</p>

<p>Communities tend not to be smart, at least in Ocean county...</p>

12

<p>Where I work there are plenty of students went to CC and then transfer up to UCLA and such. There is nothing wrong with CC. I'm not sure the peer pressure will have that much effect on a good student like you. The only thing that I feel you will miss out by going to CC is the dorm experience.</p>

13

<p>CC is good way to start if $$ is a problem or for many other reasons. Many schools have transfer agreements, you can save money, especially if you may be going to grad school, you can start your Jr. year with a good gpa, you can spend a couple more years with your family (ha ha), many schools have transfer dorms so you could still get the dorm experience, and you can still be involved. In fact many colleges like to see that your involved in your CC. It will only boost your chance of getting into the college of your choice. Everything works out for a reason. I think many kids will be going to CC's this year that would normally go dierectly to a 4 year so you will be in a big boat. If people judge you for going to a CC, it is their problem not yours IMO. Good luck!</p>

14

<p>Some people who've been admitted to the most selective schools spend their time there getting drunk. ("You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely, yes, but you know you only used to get juiced in it," in Bob Dylan's words).</p>

<p>Community colleges is an affordable way to get started on your higher education. Sure, there are people there who aren't really college material. But most community college professors are absolutely delighted when they encounter smart, highly motivated students. Some of them live for the thrill of helping such students move on to the next level.</p>

<p>And anyway, Shakespeare is Shakespeare, regardless of whether you read him in an ivory tower or a public library. What you get out of reading him depends mostly on the focus you bring to the task.</p>

15

<p>Stop fooling yourselves. We all know community colleges and the people who attend them are crap and that you're only TRULY intelligent if you attend an Ivy League school (Cornell excluded).</p>

16

<p>
[quote]
And anyway, Shakespeare is Shakespeare, regardless of whether you read him in an ivory tower or a public library. What you get out of reading him depends mostly on the focus you bring to the task.

[/quote]
That's one point of view. Another says that a good part of learning is the give-and-take of hearing others present their ideas and presenting yours, of challenging and being challenged, of being able to ask questions of a prof who has make a career out of studying English Literature of the period, etc. Anyone who's been in a stimulating classroom discussion in college (or even HS) knows that they can come out of it with enhanced understanding and insight into the material they read prior to the class.</p>

<p>After all, we could cut costs immensely by finding good instructors in a variety of areas and just putting the lectures on DVD, iTunesU, or YouTube. Many college, in fact, have made courses available on the web, yet I haven't seen too many people who think its an equivalent replacement for the classroom.</p>

17

<p>I'm all for the give-and-take of robust classroom discussion, just as I'm in favor of athletically gifted seven-footers accepting basketball scholarships. But you have to play the hand you're dealt. And those whose only realistic option financially is community college (and they are legion) will be maximize their chances of success if they work hard, and make the most of their opportunities. I've known a number of community college graduates who went on to famous four-year schools and successful careers.</p>

18

<p>I am a graduate of a cc and in my last semester for my BA. I agree with the idea that you get out what you put in. I knew, absolutely knew, that I was going to finish my four year degree. I didn't know how long it would take or how I'd get there but I never doubted that I would do it.</p>

<p>It sounds like you have the same passion about your education. Do what you need to do to make it happen. It's worth the fight.</p>

19

<p>I think mikemac's observations in #8 and #16 are completely on target.</p>

<p>Community colleges, like 4-yr colleges, vary greatly. People from California tend not to understand the reservations that many of the rest of us have, because CCs are part of a well-established progression to 4-year schools there. Not so in some other places.</p>

<p>So there are CCs in NJ where a person who may have a degree in another field can--or at least could, it's been a while--get a programming certificate that could actually lead to a good job. It used to be common for people in CT to do the coursework to get a teaching certificate at the local CC.</p>

<p>Neither of those things are available at my local CC. Some of the vocational programs are reportedly solid, but the academic courses are less strong than high level courses in HS, and the number of kids who successfully do two years and transfer to the 4-year school is small. Studying Shakespeare in a class of kids who could barely scrape through HS English and never voluntarily read a book--which is much of the population that goes to CC here, though not all--is not the same thing as studying Shakespeare with kids who love literature.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I used to work with someone who decided she wanted to go to college after all, on the advice of a professor went to CC for a year and racked up some As, and then became an Ada Comstock Scholar--a program for women whose education had been interrupted--at Smith, from which she graduated. So anything is possible.</p>

20

<p>California's community colleges near the breaking point
By Gale Holland, LA Times
February 3, 2009</p>

<p>"Community college officials say that 40% of students who are serious about transferring manage to do it.
But the Public Policy Institute of California, in a 2006 study, found that only about 25% of the students
who are focused on transferring actually make it."</p>

<p>California's</a> community colleges near the breaking point - Los Angeles Times</p>