I mentioned experiences at my junior college multiple times in previous articles. Many people have a negative image of junior colleges when they think of higher education. However, I’m here to say going to a junior college was, for several reasons, the best decision I made in my life.
1. Cost
First and foremost was cost. While deciding where to go to college during my senior year of high school, the first thing I looked into was cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room, board, etc.) because debt scared me to death. The difference in cost to go to a junior college versus a four year university is staggering! For instance, take the comparison of Eastern Oklahoma State College, my junior college, and The University of Oklahoma, my current university...
As of 2016, the cost of one credit hour at Eastern, for a resident, was $140.78. A single credit hour at OU is $279.25 (nearly double), and then you must factor in technology fees and other fees. In addition, freshmen must live on campus at OU, adding more costs. Eastern offers housing, which is still cheaper than OU, but most students commute.
2. Scholarships
Scholarship opportunities go hand-in-hand with cost. I received similar scholarships when I applied to Eastern and to OU (both averaging $1500 a semester). Keeping in mind the cost of attendance, I realized Eastern’s offer was the better of the two, and the scholarship opportunities didn’t just stop my freshmen year. I applied again for scholarships the following February, and they awarded me a foundation scholarship to further reduce costs.
3. Small class sizes
After looking at costs of attendance, I looked at academic environment. Eastern offered small class sizes. During my time at Eastern, I think the biggest class I enrolled in was 20 people. At OU, some of my classes are small, but others are huge with over 100 students.
At Eastern, I knew my instructors, and they knew me by name. They also did everything in their powers to ensure I succeeded. I’m not saying my OU instructors are not great at what they do, but it is certainly more difficult to stand out in a large class.
4. Proximity
This point applied to me but maybe not everyone else. It just depends on preference. However, attending OU, OSU, or any other university required me to move across the state. Eastern was literally 30 minutes down the road from me in Wilburton, so I stayed home and saved even more by not moving. I know most people want to go away for college or have to go away for college, but I still encourage everyone to look into the closest junior college.
5. Involvement
Getting involved is really important in college because it gives students the opportunity to make friends and network. OU has clubs and organizations for everything, and they are usually filled with people. That can make it hard to become an officer and/or get super involved in an organization.
At Eastern, getting involved in several clubs and organizations was really easy. I was in Honors, Phi Theta Kappa, Photo Club, and the Eastern Statesman newspaper, to name a few. Through my involvement, I made all kinds of friends (including several best friends) and got the most out of my experience.
I traded in my blue and gold for crimson and cream, but one thing is clear: I will always be a Mountaineer before a Sooner. If you look to start or to continue your educational career, I highly recommend looking no farther than your local junior college. Going to a junior college was definitely the best decision I made in considering my future.
