By Halle Nottage
“You’re going to a Junior College?,” a close friend condescendingly asked me, “like a community college?”. The look on her face was one of doubt and humor, and there was a touch of pity to be seen as well. It was my senior year of high school, and I had recently signed and committed the next two years of my life to playing soccer and going to school at Peninsula College. At first many people were very congratulatory, saying how remarkable it was for someone from the small town of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii to move so far away to play sports. However, after some time many people realized that it wasn’t a four year university to which I was going, but a two year college. For some reason there seems to be a stigma against community colleges, that those attending them often aren’t smart enough for four year universities, or that they will receive less education than they would receive at a four year university, or that those going for athletics weren’t as capable of people going to higher divisions. However, these thoughts are as far away from the truth as one could possibly get.
First and foremost, it is important to understand that there are many factors that go into where one chooses to continue their education. These factors could include things such as location, religion, cost, size, sports, weather, major and minor opportunities, and so on and so forth. These factors all can make or break someone’s decision in choosing whether or not they go to a four year or two year university. For myself, I chose to come to PC because of the soccer opportunities for me, as well as the cost of the school. The average annual cost of a public four year university, according to studentdebtrelief.us is about $34,740, which is quite a bit of money to spend over the course of four years. In comparison to that, the average cost of a public two-year college is $13,585. This is significantly less.
It is also important to note that the first two years of college are essentially the same all across the board, as you will be required to take prerequisites in order to pursue your major. This is the same for both community college as well as four year universities, which means you could potentially be paying far less to take a math class at a community college rather than paying 10 times the amount at a four year university.
Finally, one of the most important things to understand about going to a community college is that it gives you time to figure things out without wasting large amounts of money. For example, a lot of student athletes that end up going to community colleges possess large amounts of talent, but perhaps lacked the exposure to make it to a higher division, or lacked the grades to make them eligible, ending them up at a community college. However, the shame that society has attached to that is pitiful as there should be no shame attached whatsoever to one’s journey of bettering themselves and continuing their education. Ultimately, they will transfer and move on, and possess all the tools they need to be capable, including their Associate Degree. Going to community college may not be the path for all, but the opportunities it brings are far superior to the stigmas that surround it, and therefore the community college route is one more people should consider.