Why you should go to a community college

Enrollment into community colleges has increased dramatically through the years. Numerous students are choosing to attend community college for the first two years rather than a four-year university. As tuition inflates each year, student enrollment is starting to decrease. “According to the College Board, in 2011-2012, tuition and fees cost an average of $28,500 at private nonprofit four-year colleges, $8,244 at public four-year colleges, and $2,963 at public community colleges” (Community college value more apparent than ever, By Dr. Christine Sobek). While four year colleges have many benefits, choosing to attend a community college also has certain benefits for students. Attending a community college will provide an associate’s degree which is achieved by taking prerequisite type courses, such as, mathematics, English, and science. Money can be saved because these types of courses are needed wherever you choose to attend. Thousands of dollars can then be saved to put towards further education beyond the associates degree. Community colleges offer similar if not the same opportunities to students without causing debt that cannot be afforded. Community college gives a person the opportunity to decide if college is the right choice without incurring debt that possibly could be triple the cost of a private university and for those who would like to give it a chance before ultimately making the decision to enter into the workplace. Going to a community college allows a student to explore various ideas and thoughts about career path and life choices. This is especially helpful for the undecided students just graduating high school. For many students, community college can serve as a building block for future education choices, even those students that begin college with an idea of what he/she wants to study, but after a few classes, meeting with college advisors, speaking to other students, and financial obligations may decide to follow a different career