Growing up in the second snobbiest city in the US that literally lived up to its title was absolutely no joke. In my city, attending community college was more frowned upon than not going to college at all because most people not only could afford to send off their kids to four-year institutions RIGHT AFTER high school but pushed it intensely on them.
After attending community college for three years, I can attest that the following is a bag of bologna.
1. You're only going to community college because you're not as intelligent as your other peers
This one grinds my gears the most. I do have to admit, I did not have the best grades in high school and I would have probably never gotten into schools like UC Berkeley or UCLA back then. I lacked the plethora of AP classes my other peers took and was not involved very much in my academics. I got accepted into a few random universities that I applied to back in high school so my intelligence level had little to do with why I decided to go to community college. Community college gave me the opportunity to become the better student I wish I could have been in high school and showed me that I do have the capability to be as smart as those I went to high school with.
2. Community college does not offer any help nor good services to those attending that would be offered at a four-year institution
Each community college is different but the like most educational institutions, the staff and faculty are there to help their colleagues and their students. They want students to succeed in their educational journey and provide their office hours and contact information just like university professors do. They have academic advising counselors to guide students to ensure that they are taking the correct courses in order to transfer and plan our time at the community college. They have a great number of resources for internships, jobs, transfer guidance, etc. My community college had a health center which provided students with basic needs such as cough drops, asprin, Bandaids to flu shots, pregnancy tests, STD tests/condoms, psychological help, nutritional help, and so much more.
3. You're only going to community college because you can't afford a four year institution
To some, this might be a reality but there are those who attend a four-year university, cannot afford it and get loans or receive substantial financial help from grants and/or scholarships. There are VARIOUS reasons on why someone chooses to go to community college and the financial aspect is an important one for many but not for all. There are people who can afford to go to a university but choose to do community college instead. There is so much economic diversity at community colleges just like at regular universities, not everyone is low income.
4. A degree from a community college is not worth anything
It may not be AS valuable as a Bachelor's degree but it definitely shows that you worked to obtain a college degree (or multiple degrees if you're anything like me) before finishing your undergraduate program. In some careers, they might not mean anything but they look good on resumes and hype you up especially when applying for internships and jobs that are competitive among people with the same Bachelors as you.
5. Community college is an easy ride compared to a university
College is not for everyone, not even for those who actually attend college. Course loads are rigorous and there is so much to learn in a short amount of time. To some people, it can be a breeze but to most, it takes a lot of work and effort in order to do well in college leveled academics. Community college is not easier than universities as a lot of courses have to be similar to those general education courses offered at universities.
6. Professors who teach at community colleges are under qualified compared to those at universities
Surprisingly, many community college professors also teach or have taught at universities. It is really neat to have those professors since you get a taste of what taking their course at a university would be like but paying a LOT less for it. Even if they have not taught at universities, it does not mean they're bad professors compared to those who do teach at those institutions. I've been lucky with most of the professors I have had in community college and hope to get great ones just like them at my university.
7. You're not getting the full college experience that you would at a university if you go to a community college
Community colleges are primarily filled with commuter students so there is no on-campus housing available like there are at universities nor does Greek life exist. Although those are mainly available at a university, you can still get a full college experience. If you move out from home into an apartment, you can say you're on you're own. As for Greek life, there are Greek honors societies for community colleges (such as Phi Theta Kappa, which I was a part of) rather than fraternities and sororities. Community colleges offer so many events for students such as club rush to join clubs and other organizations, athletics, performing arts, and so much more!
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