For most students, the community college life includes nothing more than going to class, hitting the books, and finding time to socialize.
And these activities are enough to take up every waking moment in most cases.
However, there are students that want to do more.
Some work part-time or even full-time jobs while they earn a degree while some make time to devote to charitable causes.
Others join clubs or participate in competitive activities like sports, forensics, and so on.
And then there are students who take their commitment to the environment seriously and they want to use their time in community college and beyond to bring awareness to their fellow students and try to make a change for the better when it comes to the environmental issues they're passionate about.
For these concerned citizens there are tons of ways to make the community college experience more eco-friendly.
Community Colleges Going Green Starts With You
Every student can start with their own little corner of the world.
Since the majority of community colleges with housing is pretty slim, the student body at large will have to commute to school (whether they live just a few blocks away or they must travel several miles).
While it's certainly more convenient to drive to campus and home again, the eco-friendly student will surely want to find an option that produces fewer carbon emissions like:
- Riding a bike
- Taking public transportation
- Setting up a carpool with classmates
And you'll probably want to take other steps in your personal life as well, such as using recycled, sustainable, or organic school supplies (notebooks, pencils, backpack, etc.), and potentially even purchasing a Kindle to house digital copies of all your textbooks.
But how can you go about getting other students involved in your efforts to save the Earth?
There are many ways. Leading by example is a good place to start, especially if you're not afraid to toot your own horn and let other students know how they can follow in your footsteps.
But this may only raise awareness with a small portion of the student population (like those that you happen to sit next to in class).
Another option is to learn how to become a top student.
If you really want to reach out to the student body at your community college and enact change on a campus-wide basis, you're going to have to make a bigger effort...
Getting Involved On Your Community College Campus
You could start by forming a campus club that will fundraise for environmental non-profits and community outreach efforts (like an organic community garden, for example, or tree plantings).
You could also organize campus events that center on eco-friendly holidays like Earth Day, Arbor Day, and so on.
And you could even get students involved in petitioning for on-campus initiatives like:
- A recycling program (or enhancements if you already have one)
- Water conservation efforts
- A ride-sharing program
- The addition of alternative energy like solar panels
If you can get the community involved, interest local businesses in donating, and find a solar company willing to help out, you could make projects like this a reality.
It doesn't take a master public administration degree to get organized and involve other students in environmental efforts.
All it takes is a passion for change, a little imagination, and a willingness to devote yourself to a cause.
And if you're passionate about transferring from community college, read about our community college transfer guide.
