[ima_robot]

i dont know how many of you plan to go to a community college but...

it seems like everybody just lectures me and tells me i can do way better.

i did "ok" in my four years of high school, i have a 3.0
i applied to 5 schools,

+Emerson
+Massachusetts college of art
+a couple of state schools
+bunker hill community college.

i wanted to pursue a degree in either film making or communications.

to be honest, i think my portfolio was awesome. but it was just my grades that were holding me back.


every single school that i applied to rejected me except for the community college.
im actually really excited to go. its a nice school but people just look at me like im crazy.


did anybody have a similar experience?

[jaykidding]

Well, when I told people I was going to a community college, they also looked surprised and asked me questions (why aren't you ambitious?), my mom too, but I didn't really care. With my current GPA, there's no way I can get into the UC I want to get into so I might as well go to my local community college and transfer later.

[V12Juice]

Community College is like High School, but filled with a more diverse group of people. There are a lot of kids who are just going to please their parents, there are kids who go to transfer, and then there are the "older" students who are trying to pick their life back up. The reason why people see it as a bad alternative is because they assume that if you "f-cked" around in high school with a lousy GPA, then what makes you think you will study hard and end up with a high GPA at a CC? Don't let them put you down, just remember WHY you are attending a community college and not a 4 year university. Don't walk into a CC with the thought of partying and mingling, you will eff up again.

[lovebaby]

No, there's nothing wrong with going to a community college? :/
A lot of people who didn't get into the school they want go to community college to be able to transfer. The only reason why I choose not to go to one is because I don't want to be around my parents for another year or so when I have the chance to be independent by going to a UC now.

[`yukimi_]

I think it can be due to the way the kid was raised that makes them think community college is bad.
My parents for example, told me that they rather have me stay back a year then go to College and people who go to College are failures -__-;.

[prechuz_azn]

One reason people in Cherry Hill
balk at county college because they think its
not ambitious and that its the alternative
if you didn't try hard and/or "is stupid"

[j i w o n.]

there's nothing wrong w/ a community college. but some community college like the one near my area is known to have super easy classes, etc. so it's really easy to get As w/o much effort (and it has the #1 trasnfer rate in california? idk). so in that sense, it's not that great to go to a CC b/c you don't learn much. there are some classes where you learn b/c you have a really good professor but some classes are just pretty much - show up, do hw, you get an A.
because of that i heard stories of some people who transferred to difficult schools and are struggling due to CC's lack of help in preparing them.

but the good pts of a CC is that you save money, in a way it's a shortcut b/c you have a higher chance of getting into some schools than you would have as an incoming freshman.

[JunsuLove]

My parents are so.. BLAH. They don't like the "College" part of it.. And they think that it's only for "stupid" people.. But seriously, I'd rather go to the Community College here because it'd save money and I could just transfer after..
But my parents are parents and they're all about "reputation" and want their two oldest kids going to a "University" and not a "College"

Ridiculous, no?

[Lionheart]

There's nothing bad about a community college.

I got into a four year university/state university. I decided I could do better so I dropped out (wow, were my parents pissed off).

Re-enrolled in community college by my own accord.

Got into UC Berkeley. UCLA. USC.

Shoved the acceptance letters in everyone's face.

Celebrated.

The end.

[polaress]

did anybody have a similar experience?

community college is really not all that bad. the classes are smaller and your instructors are less busy.

There are some classes that are easy and there are some classes that are challenging. I guess it really just depends on the teachers. The international students that I know usually transfers to Ivy Leagues and the instate students (i know of) usually get into the 2 most popular colleges in my state.

I wasn't keened on going to CC, but then I had no choice since I only applied to one school (which was foolish of me). I did feel bitter about the whole idea of attending CC. But thinking back to it now, I probably would have screwed up if I went to a U.

As the quarter went on, I actually started liking it. I started out wanting to major in psychology, but then ended up doing bus pre-reqs.

My family, as much as they "pretend" to accept it, disapproves of it and is constantly asking when I'm going to get out. But now, I don't even want to go to a U.

I learned a few things being at a CC. There's different routes to success and some finish early and some finish later. In the end, it's really the effort you put out.

[AngieK]

It's because our society has become so competitive it's all about comparing one college to another. Since virtually anyone can attend a CC it's not really considered on the same level as UCs or Ivy league colleges. In the end it's all my happy poopoo though. Community colleges can be just as good, if not better then the big universities. But our society focuses so much on judging and ranking people that attending a CC is look on as bad.

In the end the education you get is the same. And for those people who say that CC classes are easier, they are incorrect. CC classes are not easier in any way. They teach the exact same thing the big uni's teach. The only difference is that since the classes are smaller it's treated more like a high school classroom. You get graded on assignments, attendance, quizzes AND tests. But in bigger universities your grade pretty much depends on your test scores and maybe a couple big essays. In the end Uni's require a lot more self discipline in forcing yourself to study instead of playing around all quarter and cramming last minute.

There are good professors and bad professors at CCs...JUST like there are good professors and bad professors in Universities. But so far I've found that the quality of teachers in my CC are wayyy better then the ones at the UC I attended. (Yes I went to UCSD for a year and am now attending a CC due to financial reasons). I currently have two professors at CC who both of PhDs and are absolutely geniuses. And their classes are not in anyway easier then the classes I took at UC. I have to work just as hard (maybe even harder since I actually have to turn in the homework). And so far out of all the professors I took at UCSD only one was really memorable (CSE 12 baby!) Also a thing to remember is that a lot of professors at big unis are there because they get funding for their research not necessarily because they love to teach.

I also know a lot of really bright students who go to community college not because they were rejected from all the schools but simply because they can't afford to go to a University for all four years of their undergraduates. Going to CC really isn't a bad choice. In all honesty I think it's brilliant. If I had known more about CC's in college I would've gone there for my first two years and saved for graduate school instead of unnecessarily wasting tens of thousands of dollars.

Anyway undergrad really doesn't matter. Sure you may get bragging rights but in the future no one's really going to give a shiz where you took your undergraduate classes. Just work hard at your CC and keep your GPA up so you can transfer to a decent school and finish your degree there.

I learned a few things being at a CC. There's different routes to success and some finish early and some finish later. In the end, it's really the effort you put out.

[laikamq]

all of this input has been veryyyy helpful! im so glad i found this topic

[love*beat]

I think as long as you have a liable reason to enter a community college, I wouldn't consider it bad.
If you were however, a person who partied and did drugs during high school and ended up in a community college, then that's a completely different subject.

I already know that with my academics right now that I most likely won't go straight to a UC after high school.
So I have enough common sense to realize that I should go to a community college first rather than be like "I'm DEF. going to UCLA!"

Most people, I don't think realize how difficult it is to get into a UC.
But at the same time, if you're the type of person who does NOTHING throughout high school, then I'm not surprised why you would go to a community college, sorry.

Some people also see that the financial aspect of community college is useful.
I mean, not everyone can afford going to a university (unless they have financial aid or a scholarship), so going to a community college might be their only route.

I'm not saying that your goal should be to go to a community college (lol) but I'm just pointing out things for people who think all people going to a community college are not capable of going to a university. xP

[_aitherios]

There's nothing wrong with community college, per se. However like others have said, it has the connotation of "slacker".. on one hand because, yes, slackers can only get into community college. But other than that... some people go because although they're intelligent enough to go to university, they cannot afford it. Some adults need to take classes at jc to further their education for their job.

The thing about JC though is that yes, their academic standards are WAYYY lower than a university. An "A" in JC may well be a "C" in university. really depends, but that's usually the case...

[smileyface(:]

community college was my last option
but with my SAT scores & grades i knew i couldn't get into the UCs i applied for. And even if i did get in, i wouldn't be able to pay the tuition considering how expensive it is.. =\
and nothing's wrong with going to a community college
a lot of my teachers are recommending to go to a community college because of the recession right now and the fact that UCs aren't accepting as much as they were in the past

[f0reveralways]

some people go to community colleges because of money issues that screwed you over last minute and so you have no other choice but to go to a community college..


just saying. lol



btw, nothing wrong with community colleges. i met some awesome people at my school plus you're saving money. lol. everyone at my community college is also super nice and students are generally laid back. it's nice for a change. i'm so used to high-achieving honors students that fret about grades 24/7 and talk about school and their plans for the future.

[CaramelSweetie]

My parents are so.. BLAH. They don't like the "College" part of it.. And they think that it's only for "stupid" people.. But seriously, I'd rather go to the Community College here because it'd save money and I could just transfer after..
But my parents are parents and they're all about "reputation" and want their two oldest kids going to a "University" and not a "College"

Ridiculous, no?

my parents think that way too. ==

[efflorescent musings]

community college isn't bad.
You save money by completing your GEs there.
It's just maybe the typical people we know who are going to Community colleges are those who slack off when you know they are capable of getting into a good college and those who act like the class clowns they are and you expect them to go there.
There are also people who make bad choices.
And those who, I guess you can say, "look down" on these colleges are those who try hard and know they will only go there as a last resort.
In my case, going to a junior college is the same as attending the high school that I'm going to now and I don't really enjoy the people at my school.

[imtoghai]

I don't think there's anything wrong with going to a community college. I think the only difference is is that UCs are harder to get into, and you have to sacrifice a lot in high school if you aim to attend a UC, just because of the labels people put on colleges and the emphasis on reputation.

Lol, I was so set on attending a UC last year, but this year I figured that I don't want to spend my high school studying and preparing all the time just for a UC. High school is a once in a lifetime experience, and I wanna make the most of it because you never know if you're going to die tomorrow, or if something bad will happen to you such as getting cancer (only an example). I know it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice if you want to get into a "good" UC, but I can't put all focus into preparing for my future because you'll miss out on so much. Your future is important, but so is your present. (and past)

[proFRESHional.]

I don't think it's bad going to a community college. My GPA in high school was average But, I had financial problems and that's why I didn't go to a UC or State University. The fees are cheaper at a community college. I took all of my GE classes there.