by Patrick Markey

Created on: October 03, 2010

People don't ask you where you started college, it's where you finish that matters.  Many students and parents sometimes overlook the idea of starting a college career at a 2 year college rather than at a 4 year university.  There are many benefits to starting at a 2-year educational institution.

The Professors

Although a 4-year University may have more PhD's on the payroll this is not always a benefit to the student attending class.  At a 4-year college many professors concentrate on research and publishing rather than on teaching the basics to freshman and sophomores and even to the point that many T.A's (Teacher's Assistants) are actually teaching the class.  This is not to say that it always happens but at a 2-year college the teachers generally are more hands on with the students and available for support.

Class Sizes

2 year colleges vary from small to large size as do the 4 -year colleges and sometimes class sizes can be enormous, especially for the core general education curriculum.  Many times though the 2 year college may have more options available to take the general curriculum courses which might result in smaller class sizes.

Costs and Tuition

Well it goes without saying that Universities charge a higher tuition than 2 year public colleges.  Many times a student is paying 5 to 10 times more per class at a University for the first and second year courses.  Some 2 year colleges cost as little as $5.00 dollars per unit.  Many scholarships are available at 2 year colleges which result in almost a free education the first 2 years.

Acceptance into Better Universities

Many students find they are better prepared and are better received at 4 year universities after attending a 2 year college than if they would have gone straight from high school.  These students also find themselves attending more prestigious universities than if they started out at a 4 year University.  The fact that students do a lot of growing up and develop better study skills impacts their learning the first two years and they become motivated and perform to higher standards.  This might not always be the case but generally speaking students benefit from the 2 year college.

Career Goals

The fact that students attend a 2 year college first provides opportunities to explore careers and occupations.  Many times a student might find a career path and then know what four year college would be best equipped to develop that interest.  If the student would have attended a 4 year college first the student might have not been exposed to other interests.

Drawbacks

Attending a 2 year college is not free from drawbacks however.  Some students due find themselves in a rut and spend 5 years in a 2 year college without every transferring.  Students still drop out and don't continue.  Some say it is an extension of high school and continue their habits there.  Some students say it takes longer to graduate with a 4 year degree but these examples should not deter someone from looking at a 2 year college to start their post secondary plans.

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