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The painstaking endeavor of trying to help our teenagers choose the best college after high school is one in which many parents tend to be more stressed over then then their own children are. Much of the worrying may be because we are programed to believe that a University is always the best choice for our kids after they graduate High School. However, Community Colleges quite often have advantages over Universities and shouldn't be looked at as a lower level education facility. Many community colleges have programs offered that give them recognition even some Universities don't acquire.

Keep in mind that Community Colleges can be a transition into a University, giving you more time to find the best suited college your teen plans to attend to further complete their degree.

Before you rule out the community college experience, take into considering the following benefits of being part of one.

1) Since Community Colleges are located closer to home then most Universities, teens may feel more comfortable going to a place where the chances of seeing people they've graduated with in High School is quite high. They will still have the opportunity to meet new friends, but they also have the opportunity to continue to bond with old ones.

2) Community Colleges are cheaper then Universities.

3) Many credits earned at Community Colleges are transferable to the University of your choice. A simple meeting with a counselor will give you all the information you need as to which Universities accept the credits the Community College is offering.

4) Community Colleges have much smaller campuses making it feel more personable then a large University.

5) If your teen got only average grades in High School, a reason why many Universities may not accept them, a Community College is a great place to earn a higher grade point before applying to a University with strict GPA entrance requirements.

6) Unlike Universities, Community Colleges don't have on site dorms. It can be very costly to live at college, and a great place to test your teens responsibility level would be in a college classroom first and not on their own with dorm life.

7) There are more Community Colleges closer to you then Universities, so you have a wide variety of ones to choose from. You don't necessarily have to choose the one in your own city.

Most importantly though, since statistics show that many students change their major up to four times before they graduate with a Bachelor's degree, a Community College can be used to earn all general education requirements giving your teen the time to make a solid decision as to what area of study he is truly interested in.

Learn more about this author, Gabriella Samms.
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