For students who are trying to balance both work and education, community colleges are one of their best options. This is because community colleges offer low cost education and they can provide the students a good stepping stone toward a four year institution.
It is only imperative to understand your options when it comes to what fits you best as a student and for many high school graduates, community college is the right decision. However, they should also realize that there are several ways on how this type of school can be different from the traditional four-year college.
Most of the community colleges are commuter schools
Majority of the students in community colleges do not have housing, according to US News, and that is why they will not be able to experience living on campus. The length of the time they spend commuting is one of the reasons why they find it challenging to get involved.
Community colleges have more diverse students
The students at community colleges tend to be older and some are already working or even have families of their own, although this can be an advantage to students. College students here will be exposed to many varied cultures, orientation, age groups and more.
Community colleges are less costly
According to Education Quest, community colleges are public and partially funded by taxes paid by the citizens in the area which is why they are expected to be less costly. It is their goal to maintain realistic tuition charges.
Community colleges offer more vocational programs
Community colleges offer various vocational programs like nursing or mechanics. They offer some classes linked to certain careers that students would like to take. In four-year college, students will have to earn a degree in a specific program in order to be able to be involved in a specific field.