College Students! discussion

I'd like to know what everyone thinks of attending community college for the first two years. I have been accepted to two universities but no matter how hard I stretch my scholarship money I won't be able to pay for it without a loan. Do you guys think community college is a set back or a good alternative. Do any of you attend community college or have attended one?

A good alternative! I went to community college for a year and loved it.

I attended community college for a year and a half...I really enjoyed the close atmosphere and the one on one time with my professors. It's definitely cheaper and easier overall. However...when I transferred to a four year university, I found I wasn't prepared for the large classrooms, intense workload, and the impersonal feel I got from the students and teachers. I was a bit overwhelmed and it took me quite awhile to adjust to that. In your situation, I think community college will still be good..it definitely has benefits, just be prepared for what comes after.

I went to community college and stayed at home with my mom. It did save a lot of money. One thing to make sure you do, is get your associates (Or whatever 2 year degree) before trying to transfer to a university or another 4 year college. Transfering credits otherwise doesn't always work too well. You can find you lose a lot of credits sometimes. Good Luck.

I know a lot of people who went to community college first and loved it. You don't get the whole "college experience" but for most people (including myself) that just means a lot of parties and not too much school work which, while a lot of fun, is detrimental in the long run.
Like Tami said though you have to be really careful about transferring and making sure that credits will transfer correctly. If you definitely know what university you plan to attend after your community college stint there is usually a way to check and make sure that all credits will transfer, if you are planning to attend community college in the same area of university they sometimes have a pretty foolproof transfer program set up. If you aren't clear on your next step I would try and get some sort of 2 year degree so that those credits aren't lost.

I just reread my post and realized it wasn't too clear. Normally, If you have the 2 year degree, the whole thing transfers to most 4 year schools. If you don't have the degree yet, then you usually lose some credits.

I agree on the "whole college experience" bit too. When you are going from high school to college, going to a community college is a nice transition. It is more intense than high school, but not so much that you go crazy right off.

I went to community college for 3 years. It was perfect for me, because I didn't know what I wanted to study.

It's also considerably cheaper. The classes are smaller, meaning your teachers really get to know YOU, whereas, if you go to a large university the first two years, you're mostly in lecture hall classes.

I understand what Kelly is saying... I transferred to a LARGE (Big 10) university, however, I haven't found any coldness from any professors. In fact, I feel far more welcomed here than I did at my community college. It's a good alternative, for sure. You save more money, get two more years to apply to colleges/really think about what you want and where you go, and you can apply for scholarships later too!

It does suck when all your friends go away, but they have breaks, and you're always home, so there's never a problem for hanging out with others.

<3

When I looked into grad school, I was told I needed additional credits to be accepted ( have a 4 year B.A.) and they said that community college might be something to look into for classes that are the same as what would be offered at the U. I can't take specialty classes there, but basic things like calc etc cost 1/3 of what they do at a regular 4 year school. Just something to consider if you find yourself in that situation. I can't comment on the difficulty of the classes, since what I need are mostly freshman level classes, which skews my views.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I think I have a better idea of what to expect.

I would recommend going to a community college, as would many people. But, I would say that you should do some research to choose which one to go to. Better yet, go to the counselors and ask them if the school has any good course for your major.

I say this because while you will be taking the basic requirements, you may also be taking things going towards you major. Not every CC offers the same things, so it's best to look around.

For me, I attended a CC for a year just to find out there is another one not that far off that offers ALL of the courses I need to transfer into my competitive major. While, the one I was attending had 1.

I went to community college and got my associates degree before going to a university for my bachelors. It saves a lot of money and the bachelors degree is the same for everyone whether you went to the school for 2 years or 4 years.

Unless an employer asks to see your transcript they won't be able to tell the difference between your degree from some of your friends that had been at the same school in the same major for four years instead of two. And even then its doubtful they'll care because the last two years are the most important and specific anyways.

I absolutely loved my community college. The teacher's were so helpful, and just like @ so many community colleges, many of the professors there decided to leave the 4 year school scene to teach @ the community college level. Some of them were from very renowned and taught at Ivy league schools as well. It was such a great experience. I recommend it.

My associates degree transferred right into the university I went to, as well.

I wish I had thought of attending a community college for the first two years. It would have saved me a lot of money! Plus, you can use those two years to build up your extracurriculars and raise your grades, and then you might have a better chance at receiving a good scholarship or getting into a top choice university.

Also, I don't know if you're interested in attending a liberal arts college, but the core curriculum (it's called the 44-hour Core in NC) at most community colleges transfer over really well and you'd be able to skip a lot of the required courses at the four-year school. At least that's how it works in my state.

From Nc too but went to a community college in Atlanta Ga. Loved there scene because you go to take the classes you need to transfer like Spanish or freench your math and phys ed but you also got to take alot of your begining major classes as well like World Literature and Creative Writing. I even took African American Studies my teacher was strange and racist but thats another story for another time lol.

Anywho, all of the courses exactly matech the two years you would have taken at Georgia State or any of the other schools in the University of GA system.

I cant find anything liekt hat in my area here in NC so Im getting a Applied degree then going to enter into the four year as a non degree seeking student to get the extra classes I need to enroll in a degree. The classes will be the same and for credit.

Just noticd all my typos but I had class to day and dont feel like editing it. :/ sleepy neeeeeed NAP.

I go to Valley College in California. It's my third year.

I am at community college right now. It has been wonderful financially for me, but I am really looking forward to a school where I can live on campus and there are more activities. I am part of a club here at school, and getting people to meet is like putting teeth, and it feels like the campus just dies at 3pm everyday. I have a work study on campus on Fridays in the school's library, and it is DEAD in here all day. I have had maybe 5 students pass me today. Usually it is so packed in the library that it is hard to find a seat, let alone an outlet to plug in your laptop.

I think its the best route especially considering how ridiculously expensive colleges are today. I also like that the classes tend to be smaller so its more intimate and not as intimidating as a huge university. Another positive is that you will meet people of all ages and backgrounds. Its pretty cool to listen to everyone's story and get to know them. I do wish my campus had more clubs and activities to get more involved. I feel like with a University they offer a lot more in that department. The only thing to look out for ( especially if you're getting your A.A in Community College) is to make sure that your classes will count when you transfer over to a university or other college or else you'll have to re take them. So make sure you stay on top of that. Retaking classes is a pain and more money down the drain.

Two years after starting this thread I can honestly say that choosing to attend a community college was the best decision that I've made so far in regards to my education. I've grown stronger as a student and as a person. I was also able to save a LOT of money while receiving a quality education. I wish my college offered my bachelors because I dread transferring to a bigger university.

Yes I agree it really does save you a lot of money in the long run and in my opinion because it is smaller you get a quality education. Like you, eventually I will have to transfer in order to receive my bachelors.

@Sashana have you applied for any scholarships? There are many local scholarships to help with expenses.

Mirra wrote: "Yes I agree it really does save you a lot of money in the long run and in my opinion because it is smaller you get a quality education. Like you, eventually I will have to transfer in order to rece..."

I actually won a huge scholarship to a private school in another state but had to pass up on it because most of my credits could not be transferred. Which meant that I would have to start over school from scratch. I haven't been applying to any scholarships but I did recently apply for a grant. Fingers crossed!

ugh I hate when credits don't transfer over. Good Luck to you! I hope you get that grant! :)

Mirra wrote: "ugh I hate when credits don't transfer over. Good Luck to you! I hope you get that grant! :)"

Thanks, Mirra!