Most Of The High School Students Follow The Footsteps Of

Every year, high school graduates are faced with the decision to further their education or not. If they choose to do so, they are then faced with the decision to go to a two-year or four-year college. There are many factors that come in to play when deciding between them including sports, cost, flexibility, and location, education, and student activities. Understanding the differences and similarities between a two-year and four-year institution is necessary for each individual to make the best decision for their education.

Community colleges in the United States develop rapidly and have become a vital component of the postsecondary education delivery system. As of 2011-2012 school year, 45% of all undergraduate students were enrolled in public two-year colleges, approximately 8.3 million students (Knapp et al., 2012. Cited by AACC Fast Facts). And it seems that with globalization and Obama’s education agenda, the trend of growing enrollment in community colleges won’t change. A high school graduate who decides to pursue postsecondary education may face with a dilemma--whether enroll in a community college or a traditional four-year college. Even within a community college, a student may be faced with a choice—enroll in a vocational program and enter workforce after graduation with a vocational certification, or choose an academic program with an intention of transferring to four-year institutions.

Countless numbers of college freshman transfer out after their first year of studies. Many return, some don't. Unfortunately, many of these students felt displaced and found that their expectations were not met by the university they attended. Attending community school gives students the opportunity to earn college credit while taking the time to select the 4-year institution that is right for them. Because there is little financial investment, most students

to about 83 percent of high school graduates enroll in some form of postsecondary education, but only about 52 percent of students complete their degrees. Further, a very small proportion of students complete a degree in four years—“among students starting at ‘four-year’ institutions, only 34 percent finish a B.A. in four years, 64 percent within six years, and 69 percent within eight and a half years.”

The transition from high school to college is a dynamic time in one’s life that parallels the change from childhood to adulthood. Both of these changes are dramatic and, as a result, feelings are difficult to put down into words. A messy combination of emotions fills the heart, surfacing in strange ways. Confident high school seniors go right back to the bottom of the chain when entering college as freshmen. These students start all over, just like entering grade school or high school for the first time. The move up from high school to college signals the switch from dependence to self-sufficiency. From a personal point of view, going through the experience of graduating high school and transferring to a residential college campus at STLCOP, made me realize I was no longer a kid and capable of making my own decisions.

According to Kaplan (2013), students’ motivation levels are easily influenced through extrinsic forces in schools. Such forces can be attributed to simple events such as prom and graduate night. It is imperative to think of various solutions to this motivational issue because students who are planning on attending a four-year postsecondary institution might be at risk on losing their admission. Furthermore, losing their admission at this stage can signify no other option than attending a community college. It is important to note that though there are plenty of benefits in attending a community college this paper will focus only on students who plan on attending a four-year postsecondary

In her article, Magdalena Kay brings up the idea that students feel the need to go to college in order to obtain a job that makes enough money to support the lifestyle that they want (3). These students want to go to universities to earn their degree so that they can achieve their blissful little life with a gratifying job, but for students, it is not always possible to make it to a university right away as planned. Frequently universities cost too much, people are not mature enough, their grades are not satisfactory, or they need to work and do not have the time for classes; this is where community colleges come into play. They can be a great option for people who are unable to go straight to a four-year college and they allow students to get most of their general classes out of the way and help them work towards a bachelor 's degree. A majority of students transfer to a four-year college from community colleges by virtue of the benefits of it, but through the process over 50 percent of students lose some portion of their credits and this sets them back on their path to earning a degree. While transferring has copious benefits for students, there are not a multitude of options for paths between colleges to transfer.

Another main point I can apply to myself as a transfer student is to never give up. I know times will be tough as a college student. It will be the same in the real world. Colvin uses a great example in the article, Michael Jordan. Everyone knows that Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player of all time. Many people do not realize that it did not just happen

Many high school students succeed with a little leniency through their four years. The transfer from high school to college becomes overwhelming and a struggle for some. For students do not comprehend the importance of changing more than their location during the transition. A student must be psychologically, physically, and emotionally mature to pursue college and not venture into a point of no return. Dropping out of college makes the outlook of the conversion difficult to acquire. Individuals should take their time on deciding which college and/or university is the best match for them. There are various reasons that cause persons not to prosper. Issues that individuals may come upon might leave a lifelong scar. Matters such as these

For some students, Studying in four-year degree has economic pressures and many risks, for instance, leaving school with debt or being unable to find a fit job (Scott A23). Studying in community colleges can avoid these risks because the tuition for college is cheap, and the teaching content focus on professional field. Credit from community colleges can transfer to four-years system. It means that people can spend less money to finished higher education. In addition, people can depend own situation to decide whether continue to study in a bachelor degree when they really identify their demand. Therefore, people who study in community colleges have more opportunities to plan a studying goal, two-year or four-years

There are five sequential steps in the typical pipeline to college (Choy, Horn, Nunez, & Chen, 2000). Students need to aspire to attain a bachelor’s degree early; prepare educationally to ensure qualification; undertake admission examinations; submit applications to a four year college; and receive response confirming acceptance. Students need current, realistic information about the array of postsecondary options and their individual likelihood for success in particular fields (Valadez, 1998). The readiness of students academically, socially, and emotionally in high school increases the chance for a successful transition to college (Conley, 2008).

During my first semester at SUNY Broome, I only took 4 courses which has not been very challenging because I wanted to use more time to think and discovery my future career which relates to my interests. However, I realized that I could do more academic studies and participate more community services, and did in the second semester. I am excited and enthusiastic to transfer to a new challenging place where I can explore more professional business strategics and start the next chapter of my college life with my new

With a third of our students experiencing the transfer process (Simone, 2014), we cannot afford to ignore the struggles of transfer students. Currently, there is no statewide transfer system in place and, as we have demonstrated, this creates many barriers for students hoping to achieve their goal of higher education and disproportionately impacts students from minoritized identities and first-generation students.

Many first-time freshmen enroll into a four year institution with the belief that they will graduate in four years. Unfortunately, the reality of it is that only a few of those individuals actually graduate in four years. According to “California State University, Fresno: First-Time Full-Time Freshmen Four-Year Fall 2000 to Fall 2009 Graduation Rates”, about an average of 200 students graduated in four years out of about 2,000 who entered. Now you may ask yourself, how is this possible if it is said to be a four year institution? Yes, it may be established and known as a 4 year institution, but that does not guarantee an undergraduate a completion of their degree within four years. There are many contributions that play an important

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one student to dissolve the bonds which have held him to his high school life, he can get fairly intimidated. Making the transition from high school to college can be a tough one. I remember my experience in such a transition vividly, as it was only a short time ago.