It sucks how community college is completely belittled today due to it being “easier." It’s unfortunate for the people who actually go there because automatically they’re not considered intelligent enough to be accepted into a university or whatever stereotype exists out there for this topic. To all of the people in high school who are graduating or considering going to college, I need to tell you a few things.

First off, going to community college doesn’t mean that anyone is either more dumb or smarter than the next person. Going to community college could mean a few things: You don’t know what you want to study yet, there's a major that you want to actually study and start your career in or – the most popular one – you’re going to community college because hey, it’s cheaper. That’s the route I chose and honestly, it’s a good choice especially if you don’t want too many loans after you graduate.

When I was taking my general education classes in my local community college I felt more of a winner because my friends who went to these huge universities were taking the exact same classes as I was and I wasn’t paying nearly as much as they were.

Secondly, I feel like the instructors care more when you’re in a community college. I’m not saying every instructor in a university doesn't care, it’s just that when you’re at community college the classrooms are generally smaller, unlike university general education classes.

For example, when I took a public speaking class, in the beginning, I was horrified. My instructor was probably one of the most passionate instructors in the school and she made me feel comfortable. When the semester started, I went from waiting to have my name called to do my presentation, to being the first to volunteer at the end of the semester. She made a huge impact on my life because she also made me want to change my major.

When I first took that class I wanted to be a music education major. I had a real passion for teaching, especially teaching music. I took public speaking because I knew I had to be comfortable in front of crowds if I wanted to be a teacher. Once I took public speaking, she made me realize that I wanted to study the field of communication because I’m very fascinated in the study and I’ve discovered through her class that I’m great at talking to people whether it’s orally or digitally.

That brings me to my last point: discovering yourself through community college. I changed my whole career choice from one that could’ve ended in something that I wasn't actually passionate about in the first place. I went from wanting to teach music to having a passion for writing online and now I’m doing it and loving it.

So, if you’re considering going to school, you're returning to school or you're in high school and thinking about what the next move is, the thought of going to a community college shouldn't be a turn-off. You probably have more of an advantage than people that go to university because you have more opportunity to network. Also, there's a good chance the person sitting next to you in your intro to literature class is probably in the same boat as you are. So, you're not alone. Remember that.