While applying to colleges my senior year of high school, I didn't have much of a clue where I wanted to go. I was only certain of one thing: I didn't want to go to community college.

Like many others, I thought community college was only for those that didn't have the grades to be accepted into university and I was afraid of being viewed as stupid if I went there.

The truth is, there are many reasons one may want to go to community college. Some students attend because they want to raise their grades, some don't have the funds to afford college at the moment, some may want to be close to home, some may be unsure about their major, or there may be some other reason. The important concept is that everyone at community college is trying to further their education, and that's really all that matters.

For my first year of college, I attended a public university in New York and absolutely despised it. I had to come to the realization that I simply wasn't ready to attend college and I needed a transition period that of which community college was able to provide me.

A common misconception is that classes at community college are much simpler and an "easy A," but that is definitely not the case. I struggled as much and had to study as hard in community college than I did at university during my freshman year. The only reason they may be considered "easier" is because classes are smaller and there is a better opportunity to have one-on-one time with professors.

There are a variety of benefits to attending a community college. The tuition is exponentially less and there is no need to worry about room and board costs because you're living in the comfort of your own home. Due to the low cost, it makes more sense to attend community college if you're unsure of what you want to do in case of credits need to go to waste. Classroom settings are very intimate and you can build relationships with other students and your professor. This type of setting is very similar to high school, but with the difficulty level of college to make the transition a lot less drastic.

The reality of the situation is that community college is meant for everyone, and that's exactly what I loved about it. The student body is extremely diverse and everyone feels grateful to have access to education. I was able to save up a lot of money and meet the most incredible people at community college. I learned so much in my classes, but more importantly, I learned what I truly wanted out of my education. I truly wish that I could've attended community college for a longer period of time, but it was ultimately not wise because of my course of study.