The Importance Of Community College

Trying to achieve your dreams and reach your full potential in a town that has little to no guidance for youth, especially African American men, is a daunting task. Too often, young men from my hometown are given limited options for their future. The education system made us feel as if we were only created to work in trade career fields, or sign our lives away for four to six years to the various branches of the United States Military. College was a luxury that many, including myself, thought would never be an option.

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.

Students nowadays face many challenges when it comes to obtaining a college education. We evaluate an institution’s quality based on what we need the most. The qualities sought out may vary by each person’s personal point of view. However, as a student, I’ve found that most students seek for an institute that benefits them the most. Attending a community college has been an enormous advantage towards my education. I have been attending San Bernardino Valley College for the last two semesters. I have come to respect their philosophies and values. The institution has now been in business for 87 years. They venture to encourage both students and faculty towards high standards of achievement and progress into exceptional members of the society. They now offer a variety of degrees, transfer programs and certificates for a wide range of students. San Bernardino Valley College has an accomplished staff, student support services and technological tools that pave the road towards the conquest of a quality education.

When I thought about my future and where I 'll be going, I thought I would be attending a university like all of my friends in high-school. I never thought I would be attending a community college. I really hated the idea of community college. I thought it was for people who had low ACT score or people who didn 't really try as hard as others in school. I always tried hard in school even when things got hard I still tried my best. I never thought it would be for me until I saw the benefits of attending a community college. I attend a two year college because I felt like I had a better opportunity to talk to my professor , also to better myself improving my knowledge by stepping out of my comfort zone.

Compared to a four year University price is a major difference with a two year, Community College price. For many people, money is the main reason for not going to a four year University. People do not want to go into debt, and have to keep paying tuition all there life. Which is great way to start off your college years. Especially, if you plan on going to college for years, for a major! Most students usually choose a Community College to save on money. For instance, private universities are much more expensive. In fact, in an article by NCES( National Center for Education Statistics) shows, "... between 2003–04 and 2013–14, prices for undergraduate tuition, fees, room, and board at public institutions rose 34 percent, and prices at private nonprofit institutions rose 25 percent, after adjustment for inflation." At a public university, cost could be up to $8,000. Now a private university, is most likely twice the tuition at a public school. If you add on other living expenses, the overall cost, could average up to over $20,000. Now, if you add books and food to that cost that could add up even more money around $5,000 or more. At a private university, you could be paying over $45-60,000. At a community college

Choosing a college means going to a new, unfamiliar world of immense possibilities. One of the hardest decisions a high school graduate face is the choice between attending a Community College or a University. Although Universities and Community College serve the same purpose, each has its differences and similarities in their learning such as the admission requirements, expenses, size, and student life. Community College are the most common type of two-year College that prepares you to continue your education, are often an affordable and convenient option. Universities you can earn Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees which is more expensive. At a University, you can

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.

According to Jenkins and Fink, the writers for the Community College Research Center, an average of 38% of community colleges students transfer to a 4 year college and 42% of the students complete a bachelor’s degree within the next 6 years. Going to a community college is very beneficial and affordable to children with high or low income. While I am taking Economics my teacher broke down the concepts and benefits of going to a community college versus a university. For example, going to Moraine Valley Community College is about $3,570 a year for their tuition, while the University of Illinois is around $15,686 in tution. If you go to Moraine Valley Community College for 2 years you will only be paying about $7,140 versus going to the University of Illinois for 2 years and paying $31,372 Your saving $24,232 dollars if you go to a 2 year college versus going the whole 4 years. If people are struggling financially this can be a financial advantage. Some junior colleges cost less than two-thousand dollars each semester for students who attend full time and it gives students some time to prepare for a 4 year university if they plan on taking their education further. Going to a community college helps students to set goals and aspects for their future career they want to pursue to transfer to a university. So why doesn’t Joliet West counselors promote the idea of going to a community college?

Tuition cost plays a vital role in deciding whether to attend a community college or a four year institution. According to Susan Stafford, “Tuition for community colleges is affordable while tuition costs at public institutions are usually at least twice that of a community college” (1). The tuition cost in universities can be overwhelming and highly unaffordable, This have caused many students to graduate with s heavy loads of debt but by attending a community college, an individual can

In today’s extremely competitive, job-scarce economy, having a college degree is now a steadfast requirement when applying to even entry-level professional jobs. Choosing a college has always been a challenging task for high school seniors, but it is now fraught with stress and anxiety for nearly every adult who seeks to further their education. Questions abound: what school offers the exact program I desire? What school is in the best location, or has the best campus? What school feels ‘right’?

Therefore, students begin dreaming of college; where they will attend and what they will become when they grow up. Unfortunately, the absurd college and university tuition hikes have forced many prospective college bound students to shift gears on their journey to receiving a college degree. One of the modifications made to the dreams of many, is college selection. Thousands of students have opted to start their college careers at a community college. Community colleges are designed to serve as a pathway from high school to college and most offer two-year transfer or university parallel programs that prepare students wishing to earn a bachelor’s degree from a four-year institution. Community Colleges are generally more cost efficient therefore, grant access to many more students desiring a higher education. CNN Money journalist, Kim Clark reports that, “While community college tuition posted a sharp 8.7% gain, it's still a bargain: only about $3,000 a year for full-time tuition” (Clark). Clark also suggests that due to recent increases in federal grants and tax benefits, the average total aid was raised above the average tuition price of community colleges, therefore, “the typical community college student got the cost of tuition and most textbooks fully covered” (Clark). According to the College Board, “four out of 10 graduating high school students begin their college careers at community colleges” (Why Community College?). Typically, courses that are

Choosing the best route can be hard to do especially just three months after graduating from high school. Students have many options that they can choose from and sometimes decide on an option that doesn’t offer the best of benefits for them. A lot of times, the student is tired of school and does not want to commit to another 4 years of education for multiple reasons. Even the students that do go on and further their education after high school, do not get enough training or experience at the time for the jobs they may want down the road and may wish to go back and get more of the training they do need when that time comes. Community Colleges can provide students with an affordable, 21st century education focused on entering the workforce.

Approaching the end of senior year everyone was receiving acceptance letters to all well credited schools, like Rutgers, The College of New Jersey, Fordham, and many others, but there were some people, like me, who were opening letter from community colleges to attend. I quickly realized that I did not take high school seriously and was lackadaisical with my studies, causing my grades to suffer, ultimately leaving me no choice, but to go to community college. In hindsight, going to community college was not a regretful decision, and it has shaped me into the person I am now. People from all sorts of life come to community college for many different reasons, mainly similar to mine, to redeem their high school-self and get better grades.

The current annual price for community college is $3,430 (Tugend, 2016). Compare that to fifty years ago. Students, as long as they got accepted, could go to Harvard University for $2,370 (Berry, 2010). Fifty years ago, you could go to Harvard for $1,000 less than you can go to a community college today. To combat the rise in prices, several states have started to implement solutions to solve this issue. Kentucky, Minnesota, Oregon and Tennessee already mandate free or near-free community college tuition to eligible high school graduates; eleven other states have similar bills pending, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (Tugend, 2016). At these schools, the responsible high school students that do not have a lot of money can attend community college for little to no cost to them. While some states have already started changing their prices to suit the normal student, there are still several states that have yet to do so. One way to reduce prices would be to redesign the remedial class system and make it more cost efficient.

Attending community college helped prepare myself as better student and understanding of what is essential to do to succeed at a top university level. I had to teach myself specific work ethics and traits to improve myself as a student. The first trait I constantly worked on during the school year is having more self-discipline as it is necessary to become a successful. I would use intrinsic motivations to succeed as I had the desire to achieve a good GPA and transfer within two years. Also, having this important aspect is necessary as it prepares myself in a learning environment due to the fact that I’m not forced to take notes or show up to class. Another aspect that I needed to improve in is having a positive mindset. Being positive and