Community college is a terrific way to embark upon the academic journey, but unfortunately these schools are often criticized with claims that students are getting an inferior education. Nothing is further from the truth and I'll attest to this as a proud graduate of a community college.

Earning my degree in the community college environment provided me with a great opportunity to have the freedom to explore my options while deciding what program to major in. After much deliberation and a change in my major, I opted to pursue a Liberal Arts/Social Sciences degree. The education I received in community college was broad, yet well rounded and defined; it gave me a solid foundation as I moved to the next phase in my life.

After I graduated from high school I had immediately jumped into courses at our community college. My daytime hours were filled with the responsibility of a full time job and in the evening I attended classes. This was my schedule for several years until I had to drop out four classes shy of earning my degree.

Fast-forward ten years and I found myself registering to finish that degree I'd always wanted but never was able to complete when life got in the way. When counselors and staff at the community college saw my hesitation of returning as a "non-traditional" student, they were very helpful and supportive in encouraging me to continue. Going to school the second time around was a wondrous experience, and I was more dedicated to pulling strong grades and had a strong will to succeed this time.

The quality of teaching was very high - the professors were experts in knowledge and tops in their respective fields. Faculty at community colleges are typically made up of both full time professors and part time adjuncts so you get the best of both worlds - education coupled with "real world" lessons. I found this to be especially helpful with technology related courses because they are cutting edge subjects that are constantly evolving with change. After graduation, I found I had more than half the credits needed to obtain an additional technology certificate and I decided to go for it. Continuing a little longer to learn those extra fifteen credits gave me additional current and practical knowledge; this proved to be very beneficial in moving onto the next level of education.

Community college was a valuable experience and if I had the chance to do it over, I would not choose any other path. The first-rate education I received gave me the broad spectrum of foundational knowledge needed to pursue a degree and career in business and technology. The work I completed at community college degree program prepared me extremely well for my Bachelors, which led to my current pursuit of a Masters degree. I am very happy with the direction my life has taken since taking that initial step.
As a bonus, by attending community college, I was able to accomplish it without breaking the bank.

Learn more about this author, Leigh Goessl.
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