by Melody Williams

Created on: April 27, 2009

Living in the hills of Northeastern Pennsylvania where some might say cows are more plentiful that people, there can certainly be disadvantages for higher education. Fortunately, the town I live near realized that, and over the last few years have welcomed two colleges to have satellite campuses in it. One of the colleges is a two year community college, and the other offers several four year degrees as well as two year degrees. In the past ten years they have grown to the point of graduating between twenty and sixty students each year. This is a phenomenal number for a small town.

I mention this information first, because I speak as both a student of both colleges and an instructor of one. I started going to college when I was 35 years old at the community college. As a rule, most of the students who started in these colleges were non traditional students, raising families and working. It gave opportunity for adults to start college, or finish college while still keeping their jobs, and shuffling between their children's extra curricular activities and taking care of a home. I too, was one who was raising two sons and taking care of a home as well as working and running kids to sporting events and Boy Scouts. The classes are once a week for fifteen weeks, which gave me a week to do my homework assignments. Full time students go four to five nights a week, and though it does put a slight crimp in family functions, it is a simple way to get a long desired degree. I was able to get my degree in three years going part time. The other college in town has a weekender program in which students go to their classes every third weekend. I was also a student there and was able to earn my BS in Early Childhood Education.

As time progressed more and more younger student started going to both colleges. They found that it was less stressful to go to a local college rather than leaving home right out of high school. It gives these newly graduated high school students an opportunity to get a small taste of college life while still trying to become an adult. Many are able to find jobs to help offset some of the cost of going to college. It helps parents immensely, as they do not have to pay room and board on a large campus.

Now, as an instructor at the community college, I see the benefits from the other side of the coin. Most of the instructors, myself included, are local people working at the colleges as a second job. Many of us are also alumni of these colleges. This is especially advantages to the non traditional students because we (their instructors) have been there. We tend to have very small classes, (mine never exceeds six)and we get to know our students well. Students know if they need a day off to take care of their sick child, or they are sick themselves,it will not be counted as an unexcused absence, and they will get a call or e-mail from their instructor with the nights agenda and homework. I also find that students who can go to local colleges attend more often, and work harder for their grades. I have had high school graduates in my classes who go for one semester and realize that college is not for them. It is a great way for these young people to make that decision without spending a lot of their parents money. More often than not. an eighteen year old doesn't really know what they want to be when they "grow up." A local community college is a great way for them to take a few classes to see if college is something they want to pursue,or if they would rather search the job market for a year or two. It is also a great way for young students to complete their first two years of college before moving to a larger school to continue their education, and for older students to fulfill a dream.

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