Community colleges
Community colleges have for a long time, been considered as junior-level colleges in the United States. However, the term junior has fallen out of use but the colleges still play a vital role in preparing the students for the workforce. Many people don’t know the main difference between a community college and a four-year level university. Community colleges are institutions that students attend for two years, whereafter they are awarded an Associate’s degree. However, as the term suggests, these colleges were built for students in a particular community but with time, they have grown to the point of admitting international students. Some students opt to do two years of their higher education in community colleges. They will go to the university to complete the other two required for one to attain a degree. There are no significant differences between community colleges and universities. However, these small differences in structure and learning have a vital influence on a student’s life. After completing high school, the main question students ask is whether they should join a community college or go to university. This article shall discuss why community colleges offer students more flexible learning platforms compared to four-year level platforms.
The cost of education in community colleges is way cheaper compared to universities. Students are required to pay a tuition fee of up to 35,000 dollars in American universities. Still, due to grants and funds, these have scaled down to $8,000 exclusive of accommodation and living expenses. Therefore, students from humble backgrounds do not afford to attend these universities, On the other hand, community colleges are cheap, and almost every student can afford to go there. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, an average community college tuition fee is below $5000. This is beneficial since the student may work after completing the associate degree and raise funds to pay for the remaining two years at the university level. It is also a good opportunity for medium-earning families to enroll their children in community college for the first two years and then complete the remaining two at the university.
Classes in community colleges are scheduled flexibly to accommodate working students and those who have families to take care of. Even though there are part-time workers and still students in the university, it is often very challenging. University classwork demands commitment and thus, engaging in other things will create inconveniences. Research shows that more than 80% of students who enroll in community colleges are working and 39% of them are full-time workers (Wyner & Carnevale, 2014). This is a clear indication that the community college system and schedule are not that intense and is effective for those who want to attain school and work balance. These colleges are also suitable for those who wish to pursue a technical course as they would have time to engage practically in their fields of expertise. Students who graduate with an associate degree in classes such as nursing are given operating licenses, which help them secure jobs.
Quality of education in community colleges has tremendously improved, and students acquire skills needed in the workforce. Students who graduate with an Associate’s degree from these colleges transition into the universities where they will earn a bachelor’s degree after two years of study. Research shows that more than 90% of these community colleges have special arrangements known as Transfer Admission Guarantee with other Universities (Silver, 2016). This guarantee ensures that there is a smooth transitioning of college students to universities. This transitioning has been termed as one of the significant strengths of the United States education system. It has helped ensure that all American people have access to quality education. In addition, those whose grades do not qualify them to join universities have great opportunities in these community colleges to pursue their choice degrees. What was once considered as low-quality education has been verified and recommended by the state departments of education. These colleges receive a lot of funds from both states and federal governments for research and improve infrastructure.
Community college students do not have the “traditional college experience.” This is because the institutions focus on academic excellence, and thus students are granted little entertainment privileges. Universities offer students opportunities to build on their talents. They offer them will facilities and platforms to improve themselves. However, community colleges lack funds for investing in students’ skills. Also, community college rules are stricter than the university, whereby students have a lot of freedom to engage in whatever way of life they want to adopt. Most community colleges have partnerships with churches and thus students are required to follow a specific code of conduct. These restrictions hinder students from experiencing the full college life. On the other hand, most students in these colleges are working or have families, and thus, they have little time to engage in co-curriculum activities.
In conclusion, community colleges grant students a cheap and flexible learning environment. After attaining their Associate’s degree, students from these colleges transition to the universities, and after a period of two more years, they graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Therefore, instead of someone paying a lot for the first two years of their university education, why not join a community college which is cheaper and more flexible. It can be speculated that these colleges will mutate from once being considered junior college to offering the best quality education.
References
Don Silver (2016) “Community College Transfer Guide” Adams-Hall Publishing.
Joshua S. Wyner, Anthony P. Carnevale (2014) “What Excellent Community Colleges Do: Preparing all students for success” Harvard Education Press.
National Center for Education Statistics https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=76