Hello Exam Seekers,
How are you enjoying the holidays today? Well, for most of us this Sunday we celebrate Easter!!! Therefore, today is the Good Friday holiday. It a great day to rest and enjoy it with family. However, it is also a great day to read a new blog post!
Some people have been asking if Community Colleges are a good idea to study abroad – as an alternative for short period certification – and that why I decided to give you all this Easter Egg and make this post about the Comunity Colleges, to shed some light on the topic.
What is Community College?
It is a specific type of higher education institution, like universities, where you can get professionalized courses or an Associate Degree. It is a very common type of school, you can find around 1100 community colleges all over the U.S. mainly public institutions.
Some people say that it is also known as Junior College, however, there are some differences between Community College and Junior College:
Junior College is a post-secondary education institution, design to prepare students for either skills trades or for additional education, while Community College is a term which usually refers to higher education institution that provides workforce education and college transfer academic programs. JC also tends to offer students courses from 1 to 3 years, while CC offers a 2-year program.
For many international students, Community Colleges are a way to enter universities in the U.S.
What are the benefits of going to a community college?
For starters the cost. While at a regular university it takes you about 4 years to study, in a community college it takes you 2 years, which affects the cost. /tuitions and fees in the community college are much cheaper. And it also affects the amount of time you spend studying. After you study at a community college, when you choose your career and follow undergraduate studies at college, you can eliminate 2 of your 4-year course.
Another benefit is the number of students in the classroom. The classrooms are smaller and the contact with the colleagues and professors is much closer. Since they are smaller, they also offer reinforcement classes, cross-cultural programs, and writing centers so that students can improve their skills, plus they get familiar with the college system.
The third benefit of community college is the possibility of gaining more work experience due to the OPTs (Optional Practical Training). When you take a regular university course, you can only go for an OPT after the 4 years of college. On the other hand, if you take the community college before the regular college course, you can do this OPT after the 2-year community college and another one after college. So you have double work experience.
What is the profile of a Community College student?
Any student can consider a Community College to start higher studies in the U.S., however, this kind of educational system is usually attended by students who didn’t have good grades in high school and are with very little time to study for the SATs (Standardized/Scholastic Aptitude Test) and ACTs (American College Testing). This happens because the admission system is much simpler, they don’t require these exams or recommendation letters.
Moreover, it is a better option for students who still don’t have enough money to enroll in a university, or are still choosing their career. Many students who study at a community college are already working and need more flexible time courses to attend.
Community colleges, in general, have a close connection to universities, some have “transfer agreements” that guarantee students entrance in a university – most require that students maintain a certain level of GPA (Grade Point Average).
Is there any disadvantage?
Yes!
Since the Community College works together with the University, you’ll only get your bachelor’s degree once you finished the 2-year community college course and the 2-year university course. If you don’t go to a university after the community college, you won’t get any certificate. Because this is a “2+2 program” to help students o get into university, by being “2+2”, if you don’t attend the first two years, you don’t get the other two.
After all, is it worth it?
It is an individual choice, however, if you didn’t have good grades at high school, it is a great opportunity before entering university. Moreover, if you are an athlete, you can also practice in the community college and evolve your abilities and maybe a coach from other universities might see you perform and grant you a scholarship at their universities.
I hope I have shared some knowledge and shed some light. If you have other questions, ask us and don’t forget to follow us at:
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Have a great week,
Patty