In 5 years, are you going to be thankful that you went to community college on your way to receiving your bachelor degree? Actually, most people are very satisfied with their decision to earn an associate degree first and then complete their 4 year degree programs. The hidden benefits of going to community college aren't always seen while you're attending community college, but many years after. Let's take a look...
We cover all 17 little known benefits of going to community college in a three post series:
- The Immediate Benefits of Community College
- The Short Term Community College Benefits
- The Long Term Advantages of Community College
In this post, we'll cover the immediate benefits of going to a community college that are sure to help you at the beginning of your college career.
Immediate Benefits of Community College
1. Admissions - If you don't pass the placement exams, community colleges have remedial programs and classes for college to get you up to speed so you can take the exams again and get started on your college career.
2. Smooth Transition To College - Even the brightest students can have a hard time adjusting to dorm life. At community college, you get more time to focus on your academics because you don't have to adjust to living on your own. As a side note, some students are not mature enough to live on their own - community college can be a huge help in this case.
3. Cheap Tuition Prices - The tuition prices at community college are no secret. Private and online colleges with cheap tuition struggle to compete with the cheap college courses at your local community college. In addition, many people forget that these cheap tuition prices often lead to very little or no loans. You get to start college for very cheap (and if you transfer to a $50,000/year university, think of it as you're getting a free education for two years)
4. Small Class Sizes - If you've ever been in a large class of 70+ students, you know that having smaller classes (30 students or less) is better for meeting people, engaging in college classes and getting higher grades. This is one of those advantages of a community college that can be hard to find at 4 year colleges for education degrees or any online universities.
5. Brand New GPA - This is you're fresh start! All the grades you ever got are wiped away and you can finally go for a 4.0 - so take advantage of this opportunity to raise your undergraduate GPA and transfer to Harvard from community college. See our guide to learn more about community college to ivy league.
6. Meet New People - Don't do what more than 70% of community college students do: go to classes for college and talk to the same people as you did in high school. Branch out and meet new people from the start. The first couple of months in community college are a great time to meet new people because everyone is open to new friends and experiences.
7. Non-Competitive Environment - Before you community college transfer to Ivy League or Tier 1 universities (explained in our guide), it's nice to be in a classroom where students are willing to help each other. At thriving institutions with rigorous 4 year degree programs, curves and grade distributions can make students less collaborative. Enjoy the camaraderie at community college before your bachelors degree journey becomes more competitive.
These 7 benefits of going to community college are sure to help you as you begin college. Next we look at The Short Term Community College Benefits in part 2...
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