(I was high school dropout who went to a community college and went on to a PhD)
Five Myths About Community Colleges
Jennifer LeClaire
MSN
Excerpt:
Myth: Community colleges are inexpensive, so the education is not high quality.
Fact: Community colleges may be less expensive than four-year universities, but that doesn't mean you sacrifice a quality education. Classes in honors programs at community colleges are smaller than university classes. The curriculum is often more in-depth and there is more open exchange between teachers and students.
"We are a brand name society. Community colleges tend to be the generic brand, but it's just as good a foundation as starting at a four-year university at half the price," says AACC spokeswoman Norma Kent. "Community college graduates have gone on to Ivy League schools."
Myth: Community college credits do not transfer to four-year universities.
Fact: The quality of community colleges is getting better all the time. There are more articulation agreements with four-year colleges for them to award credit for comparable courses taken at community colleges.
"You need to know what institution you want to attend, pay attention to their requirements, and choose your classes accordingly," Kent asserts. "The key is careful planning."
Myth: Community colleges have low academic standards.
Fact: While community colleges offer "open admission" that breeds diversity, all courses are not open admission. In fact, students usually have to take placement tests in order to qualify for college-level work. Technical and special programs have high standards and students compete to enroll.
"The idea that students go to community colleges because they can't hack it at a four-year university is ridiculous," Somma says. "We have stringent policies, but we also offer students the extra support they need to succeed."
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2 comments:
I attended a violent, chaotic high school; I rarely went to classes and didn't care. Neither my friends nor I ever even thought about going on to college. I went to work in a factory and, more than a decade later, was working for a man who told me that he wanted to promote me to a better job but couldn't because I hadn't attended college.
He browbeat me into enrolling in school (the company paid for it) and I went to a community college because (1) my high school grades were abysmal; (2) I'd never taken the SATs; (3) classes were held at night so that I was able to continue working full time.
It was at the community college that I discovered, for the first time, that a teacher could treat me with respect (it had never happened before) and that a class could be enjoyable (school had always been a torture).
It wasn't easy - I'd never before written essay or taken real exams, I'd never before had to study - but I persisted and my professors became my friends and mentors.
Community college transformed my life. I'm a true believer in their potential and their promise.
Thanks for sharing your story Annula.
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