Attending Community College: 5 Ways to Have a Phenomenal Experience

by Chad Agrawal

Attending community college is just one path of many that young adults and returning students can take to learn new skills and information, obtain higher education, and work towards a degree and eventually a new career. But like anything in life, you're bound to get out what you put into the experience. So if you're looking at community college as a way to appease your parents so that you can continue to live at home rent-free, chances are good that you're going to squander this opportunity to better yourself and create a future that includes a livable wage. Of course, even those that are interested in getting the most out of their time at community college may not know how to go about taking advantage of all that is offered by their campus. So here are just a few ways that every student can navigate the sometimes tricky waters of the educational process in order to ensure that it's all they dreamed and then some.

Get with the program. The first thing you must do if you want to make the most of your time at community college is adopt the right attitude, and this includes being invested in the process. If you don't really want to be where you are, you'll never give it your all. So take some time off if you need to and come back when you're prepared to work hard and get ahead. Otherwise you're just wasting time and money (and not just your own). All or nothing may sound extreme, but anything worth doing is worth doing well.

Pre-plan for registration. It's important to plan for registration well before the appointed time. Naturally you have a basic strategy in mind for your time at community college that includes certain classes, but since there is some latitude in when each course may be taken (aside from those that must be taken in a specific order) you might not have a semester-by-semester outline in place. And while it's easy enough to sift through the schedule and pick your ideal classes (by subject and schedule), the truth is that you're not the only student registering, meaning some or all of your choices may be full by the time you're able to register. For this reason it behooves you to create a list of alternatives that you can quickly snap up. The worst possible outcome is that you find yourself with nary a class for the semester since it not only halts your forward momentum, but it could also put a dent in funding from scholarships and financial aid.

Find campus freebies. Exploring your campus is a great way to meet people and learn your way around, but don't neglect to seek out services, as well. In truth, you're probably already paying fees for many of the "free" services you'll discover, so don't hesitate to visit the health center, the tutoring center, the career center, and the office of admissions (just for example) to see what services might be of use.

Get to know professors. Networking is a major draw for most collegians. And while you should certainly fraternize with your peer group, it's not a bad idea to spend time getting to know your professors. This could not only result in extra help during class (or consideration when it comes to grading), but you might also nail down some excellent references that will help you when it comes time to transfer or seek a job.

Select a major well before transfer. Whether you're interested in transferring to Ivy League undergraduate programs or you're more likely to look into family nurse practitioner online programs after your time at community college, it's a good idea to figure out where your path lies as early as possible. This will allow you to take prerequisites and apply early for admission, both of which could help you to get a leg up on your continuing education.

Want To Make Attending Community College Extraordinary? Learn How To Become A Top Student

This post was written by Chad Agrawal

Chad Agrawal is the founder of CCTS, helping students transfer from community college to Ivy League, tier 1 or anywhere else by following this community college guide.

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Community College Alumnus October 18, 2012 at 7:00 pm

This is a great post on attending community college. Keep up the great work!

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Chad Agrawal October 18, 2012 at 9:33 pm

Hey, thank you very much 🙂

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