by ElliotPhaber

Created on: October 21, 2009

As much criticism as community colleges and their students receive, none of it is truly deserved. While they may be less prestigious than a university, they are in no way of a lower quality. In fact, community college can fit the agenda of any student: university students, commuters, or just junior college students themselves. These colleges deserve the attention they get, but it should be much more positive than it is currently.

Three main factors contribute to the overall benefit of utilizing a community college: cost, leniency of scheduling, location. Without fail, a community college will always be cheaper than a four-year university. Why pay thousands of dollars in tuition rather than hundreds of dollars? Better yet, why spend more money for an identical class at a university when the same class is available at junior college for less? When a person can't go to school during the day because of work, the community college becomes a golden opportunity. Night classes are a beautiful thing and junior colleges offer plenty of them. Sometimes, they will have more classes available at night than a university. Finally, these colleges are almost everywhere, even more numerous than universities in some cases. A student can choose a junior college from a wide array of possibilities. These three factors - cost, scheduling leniency, and location - are very appealing and attractive for students. For actual community college students, the above benefits are painfully obvious.

Consider commuting or regular university students. Obviously, they cannot participate in a community college full-time. They can, however, use it as a supplement to their education. In a short amount of time, general education courses can be completed in spare time outside of the university. Thus a person can focus on courses directly related to their major at their university. Time and money can be saved. Specifically for commuter students, they can spend the summers at their home city full-time while attending a junior college close to home. Such benefits cannot be denied, even by the biggest opposers of community colleges, which are usually university students in the first place. Why should anyone criticise something that can ultimately help them and grant huge opportunities?

In all truthfullness, there is nothing wrong with junior colleges. They are not a breeding ground for failure, as many would like to think they are. Many people do not end up stuck in the system and eventually drop out. Thankfully, much of the negativity we hear about community colleges is unwarranted. How could anyone deny the cost-effectiveness and convenience of junior colleges when the facts are right in front of their face? Try a community college - you might be surprised at the quality education you receive at a low cost!

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