Before I started community college I had no idea what to expect! Would it be easy to make friends, would the education be good? Here are 7 things I wish I knew before community college, that I learned along the way!
7 Things I Wish I Knew Before Community College
1. It is not that easy to make friends
Don’t go into community college expecting to instantly have a million friends. It is a very different environment to a typical four year school. Most students do not love on campus- my school did not even have on campus housing! As a result this makes it harder to easily meet people as you would in college, as you are not in a dorm setting. You really need to put yourself out there to make new friends- join groups and volunteering are great ways to do this.
2. Community college will provide you with so many opportunities
I never would have been able to gain acceptance to any of the schools I did based off my high school transcript! By going to community college it made transferring and being able to attend an excellent school so much easier. Many community colleges have programs that make it seamless for you to transfer to the state school they are in a partnership with, provided you maintain the necessary grades.
3. Getting good grades is a must
I found that most schools honestly weren’t as interested in the extracurriculars I had done whilst at community college, they were more focused on my grades. Should you do extracurriculars? ABSOLUTELY! I think it is so important and will be beneficial for getting jobs & scholarships. However, if you work full time or have other commitments don’t beat yourself up if you can only join one or two clubs. Try to focus on getting good grades as this is what schools will be looking at first and foremost.
4. You will save a ton of money
I knew that community college would save me money, but I never realized exactly how much I would save. For 2 years at community college, in which I took 64 credits, it cost me approximately $10,000. Yep you heard me right, $10,000. Most of the other colleges I had looked at cost more than $10,000 just for one semester! Most people live at home while at community college, so it is a great way to save a lot of money on living costs.
Related Post: Why I Chose Community College
5. You can still work
I worked full time while at community college. I do not think this would have been possible if I were at a four year school for a number of reasons. I found that community college had so many options for class times, with many running in the evenings, on weekends, and a lot of online options. This made it much easier for me to plan a schedule according to my work schedule, and I was able to take 12-16 credits each semester!
6. The quality of teaching is still very high
The professors I had at community college were AMAZING. This was really one of the most surprising things I wish I knew before community college. I was honestly so surprised by how dedicated and helpful they are. I never had a class with more than 30 students, which meant that the professors got to know you very well, and were able to help so much.
7. Attending office hours is important
ATTEND OFFICE HOURS! Honestly, I never thought I would be someone to attend office hours, but I cannot tell you how beneficial it is. Not only can your professor help you if you are struggling in class, it also helps them to get to know you more personally. This is important as you may need a recommendation from a professor to transfer, or you may want an extra credit opportunity. By attending office hours it is much more likely your professor will be willing to do both these things for you!
I hope you found these 7 things I wish I knew before community college to be useful! If you have any tips for community college students, leave a comment below! As always, thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply