Community College Advantages

Updated: Feb 21, 2023

If you are fortunate enough to live in a community with a community college, you should make the time in your schedule to check and see what kind of classes they can offer that can help you advance your education and your career. You might be amazed at the courses you can take, even at the community college level. I know that I have found some of the courses offered and the degree of learning that takes place to be quite impressive. I think that many people who have in the past disregarded the vital role that community colleges play in providing an affordable venue for learning will be pretty amazed as well.

Community colleges have an undeserved reputation for inferiority when this could not be further from the truth. Many of the nation's nurses are products of a community college education. In many states, the associate's degree nursing programs are quite rigorous and provide more clinical experience than most bachelor's degree nursing programs. This means that students graduating nursing school with an associate's degree are often better prepared to deal with patient care than those with a 'superior degree.' This by no means is meant to disparage B. S. Nursing students at all. Most hospitals will not even consider you a candidate for an administrative nursing position unless you have a Bachelor's degree. This is only meant to point out that associate degree programs can be competitive and inclusive despite common misconceptions.

Of course, there are other benefits to learning on the community college level, at least for the first two years of your education. One of those benefits that speak volumes to me is that community college teachers are dedicated to teaching. They are not working on their research or books. They are there to help you achieve your goals, which means you aren't an interruption in the pursuit of your own goals.

Community colleges also offer an excellent buffer for students who may not have been academically on top of their game in high school or those returning to college after a long absence from academia. You won't find the large auditorium classes on the community college level that significant universities are famous for offering. You also won't find that teachers do not have time for their students. There is a lower teacher-to-student ratio in community colleges so that professors will have time to address the needs of students.

Another benefit is that even if you do not go on to get your four-year degree after completing your community college education, you will find that your earning potential is significantly improved over those who do not have at least a two-year college education. Research also indicates that students who complete a two-year degree program at a community college are more likely to finish and get a four-year degree than those who begin their educational experience at a four-year university.

A few problems can be associated with a community college education, and you should take note of these so that they do not become a problem for you. First, some universities do not accept many of the courses offered on the community college level as transfer credits. Ensure you know what studies are required for the university you are planning to transfer to avoid this. You also may find that you are limited in

the courses you can take and the times in which they will be available. Make sure you have all the limited courses well ahead of time so that you aren't taking another year of classes to graduate.

Three female college studying — Community college students

A community college education can be just as enlightening as a university education if you enter the process with an open mind and a willingness to learn. If possible, I hope you take advantage of this much less expensive option before moving on to university courses.