Choosing a college is one of the first major adult decisions you will make. It goes without saying that it needs much thinking about. You might have dreams of Ivy League schools or you might set your sights on a beautiful campus in a Southern state. But, have you considered community college? There are advantages you may not have even thought of.
A lot of community colleges have great courses, and you can get a worthwhile education without having to leave college with a whole heap of debt. Community college is definitely kinder on the wallet.
If the thought of graduating from high school and immediately moving out of your hometown scares you, then community college can be a nice and easy transition. You get to continue learning without the daunting prospect of moving away.
Unlike a regular state college, you can tailor your learning much more to your specific schedule at community college, with morning, afternoon and night classes being available to fit around work and other commitments.
Because of the flexible class times that community colleges offer, you don’t have to make a sacrifice regarding your job which means that you will be able to learn while making money and furthering your career options.
One great benefit that community college has is that the class sizes are much smaller, giving your learning a much more personal feel compared to the large groups of people attending lectures at regular colleges.
The whole atmosphere of a community college is much more relaxed, and because of this you are able to become really acquainted and friendly with your professors. I think that your learning can really benefit from a strong relationship with your teacher.
When your campus isn’t the size of a small town, it is much easier to navigate and become involved with all of the activities that you want to. A smaller community college campus can feel much more pleasant and personal.
Because the college is community-based, all of the new friends that you make in classes will have the benefit of living close by to you already. No annoying distances to travel during holidays to see each other!
The more diverse a college setting you experience in your youth, the more enlightened a person you will be going in to your adulthood. Whereas certain colleges are heavy on a single demographic, community colleges tend to have a much wider range of students.
The close-knit nature of a community college allows for its students to become really involved with their local surroundings, doing things like volunteering and attending local functions.
We would all love to get a full ride, but very few are handed them at the big name colleges. The situation is different with community college, however, with institutions connecting with local businesses to provide support to many.
Whereas places like Harvard and NYU can be very tense and stressful, the learning environment of a community college is much more relaxed, which in turn can help you to learn better.
If you don’t know what you want to do straight out of high school, then going to community college and taking general classes gives you time to decide on a major.
If you were the type of student that didn’t particularly apply yourself in high school, community college is there to give you a second chance at higher learning. You can prove yourself in a nice environment.
Community college doesn’t coddle you. You get to do the learning that you want to do while growing in to a mature adult with responsibilities at the same time.