1. Community College Advantage
If you happen to be fortunate enough to live in a community that has a
community college you should really make the time in your schedule to check
and see what kind of classes they can offer that can help you advance your
education and your career. You might be amazed at the different types of
courses you can take even on the community college level. I know that I have
found some of the courses that are offered and the degree of learning that
takes place to be quite impressive. I think that many people who have in the
past disregarded the important role that community colleges play in providing
an affordable venue for learning will be quite amazed as well.
Community colleges have an undeserved reputation for inferiority when this
could not be further from the truth. A good many of the nations nurses are
products of community college educations. In many states, the associates
degree nursing programs are quite rigorous and provide more clinical
experience than most bachelor’s degree nursing programs. This means that
students graduating nursing school with an associates degree in nursing are
often better prepared to deal with patient care than those who have the
‘superior degree’. This by no means is meant to disparage B. S. Nursing
students at all. In fact, most hospitals will not even consider you a candidate
for an administrative nursing position unless you have the Bachelor’s degree.
This is only meant to point out that associates degree programs can be quite
competitive and inclusive despite common misconceptions.
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Of course there are other benefits to learning on the community college level,
at least for the first two years of your education. One of those benefits that
speaks volumes to me is the fact that teachers in community colleges are
dedicated to teaching. They are not working on their own research or books.
They are there for the purpose of helping you achieve your goals, which
means you aren’t an interruption in their pursuit of their own goals.
Community colleges also offer an excellent buffer for students who may not
have been on top of their game academically in high school or those who are
returning to college after a long absence from academia. You won’t find the
large auditorium classes on the community college level that major
universities are famous for offering. You also won’t find that teachers do not
have time for their students. There is a lower teacher to student ratio in
community colleges so that professors will have time to address the needs of
students.
2. Community College Advantage
Another benefit is that even if you do not go on to get your four year degree
after completing your community college education you will find that your
earning potential is significantly improved over those who do not have at least
a two-year college education. Research also indicates that students who
complete a two-year degree program at a community college are more likely
to finish and get a four-year degree than those students who begin their
educational experience at a four-year university.
There are a few problems that can be associated with a community college
education and you should take note of these so that they do not become a
problem for you. First of all, some universities do not accept many of the
courses that are offered on the community college level as transfer credits.
Make sure that you know what courses are required for the university that
you are planning to transfer to in order to avoid this. You also may find that
you are limited on the courses you can take and the times in which they will
be available. Make sure that you have all the limited courses well ahead of
time so that you aren’t taking another year of classes in order to graduate.
All in all, a community college education can be just as enlightening as a
university education if you enter into the process with an open mind and a
willingness to learn. I hope you take advantage of this much less expensive
option before moving on to university courses if possible.
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