I am currently attending a community college and I was wondering if community college is just as a pleasurable a the University life. I am perfectly at ease in my college and I couldn’t be happiers. I wanted to ask all you people out there who have attended both Community Colleges and Universities, which one did you like better or not better perhaps just what was great about both of them?
Thanks,
Omega007
Omega: This is better served in our IMHO forum.
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Yer pal,
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Omega 7 ? Cuban cyyptofascists likely would only be comfortable in community colleges, rather than a university where one is encouraged to explore and refine one’s vistas…
You know, I’ve been on the boards for over a year, so by now, one would think the novelty would have worn out, but It hasn’t. I still get a weird kick from saying “Satan is right.”
Off to IMHO.
when people go to University/college, they usually live “in residence” away from home. They get to dip their toes in the ocean of independence and financial responsibility. Also, most people at colleges and universities are about the same age: just out of high school (while there are exceptions, they are in the minority). Whereas, most community colleges serve commuter students who live at home as well as many “non-traditional” students of various ages and backgrounds.
There is also the belief that university education is much, much more difficult and the standards are higher. I went to a 4-year college so I don’t have any experience on the community college side. I did have a friend in school who was a non-traditional student (mom w/ 2 kids) and found the demands to be too much, as professors expected that you would consider school your full-time job and then some (at times I spent 40+ hours a week working on ONE of my 4 classes). She switched to a school a little lower down in the hierarchy of Virginia state schools and did very, very well with professors who were more understanding as to her situation.
I went to a community college right out of hs for financial reasons, got very good grades and was able to get into the school of my choice.
Don’t knock community! They are not bad, they save money, and if you’re not sure what you want to do, they’re the best way to go.
If you have a passion for something, I would recomend a college or University. If your interests are obscure, your university proffessors and a few of your fellow students are likely the only people you will ever meet that share that passion. Avoid enourmous schools, because the proffessors will be busy with graduate students. You will be instructed mainly by those same graduate students, who are often way too busy to do a very good job, let alone form the interactive bond that can develop with a good proffessor at a smaller school.
If you have no idea what you want to do with your life and have no particular interest in what you will be studing, a CC can provide everything that you want at a third of the price, and is a good decision for the first 60 hours or so. there is nothing wrong with this approach–not everyone knows what tehy want at the same age.
I’m going to a university transfer program at one of the local colleges. One year at the college, 3 years at university. I’ll let you know when I’m done how they compared.
Btw - the college is half the price, and the class sizes are WAY smaller. The program is designed to work with the university I’m transferring to, so I don’t think I’m going to miss much.
I just recently transferred from Riverland Community College (in southern MN) to the Duluth campus of the University of Minnesota.
U=university
CC=community college
Here are my general observations:
Class sizes are much larger at U than CC. My phsyics and calculus classes at the CC were each about 8 people. My smallest class at the U is around 30.
The professors at the CC truly care (most of them). Of course, the professors at the U probably care a bit too, but their caring for their students is spread a bit thin over many more students. CC professors are in general much more flexible and understanding.
Both of them f*ck up constantly, especially with financial aid. grumble grumble
Both are run by very helpful, cheerful, and utterly incompetant people. This is called, “beaurocracy”.
The work is harder. Well, not really, but they just expect you to pick it up or fail. At the CC, if you were having troubles, the professor would usually slow down or explain things better.
Any sort of degree from a U would probably look much better on a resume than any sort of degree from a CC. This is just a guess on my part, but I think it’s true.
The U has more women. Much more. Of course, none of them are interested in me, but at least now I get ignored by a wider variety of females than ever before! 
I spent years taking various pottery classes at Glendale Community College, in the LA area. This ceramics dept. produced MANY excellent potters through the years. Enough to warrant a nice article on the ceramics dept, and the students, in pottery’s premiere US publication, Ceramics Monthly. Also, this CC ceramics dept. was outstanding enough to warrant a group show featuring GCC students (and GCC’s ceramics teacher.) This ceramics exhibition was very highly acclaimed, and covered by the L.A. Times. (I was in this show, as one of the students.)
I think that some CCs can be excellent. The one I attended certainly was. I also had a Life Drawing teacher who taught at GCC, while also teaching at one of the “big” art schools in L.A., Otis. She was an excellent teacher. I had attended Otis as well, her Life Drawing instruction was as good as any instruction I got from a teacher at Otis. The only big difference between GCC and Otis (at least with this one class) was the price. The only difference.
So, don’t discount a good Community College.
I attended a local community college for two years and then transferred to a University for two years to receive my Bachelors. Much of what BlackNight said was similar to my experience.
I believe that the quality of education was comparable. I had quite a number of professors with Doctorates at the community college. I think that the atmosphere was more friendly and diverse at the community college as well. However it was more difficult to make friends because school wasn’t everyone’s life like it is at a University.
If you aren’t sure what you want to do I would probably consider going to a community college for two years. It will be cheaper and you can generally take classes easily transferable for a four year degree at a University.
I went to a community college for a few years after high school. I could not afford to go out of state like a alot of my friends. At the time (this being urumhp years ago) I was very unhappy about it. But I got involved in clubs and made new friends at the CC, and in the end, got a very good education. The classes are smaller, and the students more experienced.
I eventually transferred to the local University, and was really disappointed. The teaching staff wasn’t as good and no professor seemed interested in my opinions. The university students were all full-time students, financed by Mom&Dad (I was working part time and paying my own way).
However, the big long-term difference was one I didn’t notice for a few years. Most of my female friends who went out of state got lonely, got boyfriends and got pregnant. Invariably they dropped out and never finished school. Some of these were very bright women. Where as the three who went to local schools finished their degrees. Maybe this bothers me too much, but if I ever have children, I’ll encourage them to stay home and go to the CC for their lower division work.