One of the biggest decisions in a young person’s life is what college to attend. Many future college students look at community colleges along with universities. They don’t know whether to start off at a community college and transfer to a university or to just go straight to a university. Not knowing this decision can waste much of your time and money. Many factors to think about when making this decision are cost, size, academics, and social life. Taking into account of these factors, I researched, and ultimately made a decision on which school is right for me to attend first. Community colleges and universities are very different. “Community colleges, sometimes called junior colleges, are two-year schools that provide affordable postsecondary
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Typically at community colleges, the class sizes are much smaller. According to Fernanda Sandoval, class sizes are never more than 30 students, so they are about the same size as they were in high school (Sandoval). Many advantages come with having small class sizes. On just being that they open more discussions and more interaction amongst the students and professors (Community Colleges vs. Universities). Another point to consider about the size of the college is the actual size itself. Community Colleges normally only have a one building, some have maybe one or two more depending on the college, and they have less students that attend. So, if you are more comfortable with smaller areas, community college could be a great fit for …show more content…
Some points to consider in social life is the athletics, organizations, and people. At community colleges, they usually don’t have many athletics and organizations to offer because of their size. For instance, at IVCC, they only offer about nine sports and about 40 clubs (IVCC Athletics Department). Having that small amount of sports and clubs doesn’t really give something for everyone. Something else to think about when thinking of social life is the people there. “Community college students who transfer to a university often times feel out of place because of the new environment at a university. This is because many of the students at a university have already been there for 1-2 years” (The Pros and Cons of Community Colleges). On the other hand, according to Weston Alt, “the transition from high school to community college is a lot easier” (Alt). Typically when attending a community college, there are people there you already know because you live in the same region. Living with people in the same area gives you a way to easily make a conversation with anyone. Making friends is easier as well because you know more people at a community college which can allow you to use the people you know as an entry point into other groups of friends (Junior College Decision). Not only do you have to look at all these aspects for a community college, but a university as
Typically at community colleges, the class sizes are much smaller. According to Fernanda Sandoval, class sizes are never more than 30 students, so they are about the same size as they were in high school (Sandoval). Many advantages come with having small class sizes. On just being that they open more discussions and more interaction amongst the students and professors (Community Colleges vs. Universities). Another point to consider about the size of the college is the actual size itself. Community Colleges normally only have a one building, some have maybe one or two more depending on the college, and they have less students that attend. So, if you are more comfortable with smaller areas, community college could be a great fit for …show more content…
Some points to consider in social life is the athletics, organizations, and people. At community colleges, they usually don’t have many athletics and organizations to offer because of their size. For instance, at IVCC, they only offer about nine sports and about 40 clubs (IVCC Athletics Department). Having that small amount of sports and clubs doesn’t really give something for everyone. Something else to think about when thinking of social life is the people there. “Community college students who transfer to a university often times feel out of place because of the new environment at a university. This is because many of the students at a university have already been there for 1-2 years” (The Pros and Cons of Community Colleges). On the other hand, according to Weston Alt, “the transition from high school to community college is a lot easier” (Alt). Typically when attending a community college, there are people there you already know because you live in the same region. Living with people in the same area gives you a way to easily make a conversation with anyone. Making friends is easier as well because you know more people at a community college which can allow you to use the people you know as an entry point into other groups of friends (Junior College Decision). Not only do you have to look at all these aspects for a community college, but a university as