The lat two years of my educational life I've spent at a community college in Syracuse, New York. Onondaga Community College to be specific. When I stop to think about it there are some things I wish someone had told me. There were so many ups and downs over those past few years. And so many pros and cons of starting off at a community college, and I'm here to tell you the ones I've found...
Pro; If it’s not free now from the Excelsior Scholarship, there’s a pretty good chance its cheapest route to go to school. Which means fewer college loans, YAY!
Con; You’ll only graduate with an Associate’s Degree or a Certificate. A lot of the time you can’t do much with just an associate’s degree. I’ve been told a countless number of times since graduating “a degree like that and a dollar can get you a cup of coffee downtown”. Jeez, thanks...
Pro; Class sizes are so much smaller than any university. The average class size for community colleges is anywhere from 20-35 and even less if you’re in the honors program. While on the other hand, the average class size for a university can be upwards of 300 students.
Con; College is where you meet the friends that you have for the rest of your life, but at a community college you only have approximately 18 months with them to make memories and friendships that will live on forever (abiding you meet them the very first day you move on campus).
Pro; Classes at community colleges are a lot more of a mix than those at universities. In my two years at OCC every class I took I had someone who was older than the “average student”. This allows students just out of high school to learn that life does happen and things might not go as planned but never to give up on their dreams no matter what. And if they aren’t happy with their life the way it is that it’s never too late to change the course.
Con; Limited housing. This one really got me. I didn’t really think about it until I was giving tours as a Student Ambassador, my boss told me there were over 13,000 students attending our school but we only had a little over 900 beds to house students. Housing is a big part of the true college experience in my eyes, thankfully I was lucky enough to get a room with no problems.
Pro; Maybe it was just my high school but our whole senior year we were told “enjoy the relationships you have with your teachers now, it won’t be like this in college. Your professors won’t even care to learn your name.” I found this to be the complete opposite; the professors went out of their way to get to know us and help us with anything we need in or outside the classroom.
Con; Fewer degree options. A lot of community colleges get most their students under the general studies, liberal arts, or humanities fields because it is usually only the first stop in a student educational career most take their credits and continue on to another school. Being that it is only a passing point there are fewer options for students to pursue.
Pro; Flexible schedules. While saving money and choosing community colleges, to begin with, students frequently also work while going to school to offset the cost of the next two years. Community colleges offer more night classes and more schedule options to accommodate every need.
Con; Students who choose community colleges out of high school often carry the stigma of being “unmotivated students”. In recent years this thought seems to be slowly going away but for the time being it’s still sticking around.
In my two years, the pros definitely outweighed the cons. Sure things weren’t perfect but the time I spent there were the most fun and educational time in my life. I learned things both inside and outside of the classroom that will follow me for a lifetime, and I met people who will be in my life forever. The most important thing when choosing a college is to make sure it makes you feel at home, even if it’s the glorious university you thought out of high school you dreamt of going to.
