Is it BETTER and WISER to go straight to a university (of your choice) right after High School OR?

Question

a junior college or a community college first and then TRANSFER into the university of your choice??


WHY?

The one who gives the best reasoning will get ten points. I would like to hear both explanations. The advantages and disadvantages of doing so.. ThankS

Answer 1

It actually depends on the person. Do they feel they are ready for the University level?

I had this same dicussion with my niece when she was getting ready to graduate fro high school. I asked her if she felt she would be able to keep up with the demand of the amount of work required at the university level. She asked what was it like. I tole her a lot of readings for each class from Academic Journals, papers due almost every week and a large portion of grades involves class participation. She then asked about my experience at the Community College Level. I told her that I never would have made it at UCSF if I didn't attend Alameda college first.

At the CC or Junior college level, the instrcutors are easier to approach and will give you a lot of feedback on your papers and advice on what you are weak in. Also if you're not comfortable at writing proper essays or have a high level of math the cc or jr college is where you need to go to make up for what you didn't learn properly in High School. I also advised her that since Statistics is a requirement for all majors, it's best to take it at the cc level.

Answer 2

There are definitely advantages to both options. The community college route has the obvious economic advantage. One of the less-thought of advantages is that many people aren't emotionally ready for the whole university scene. All that independence, low structure, fun stuff going on - well it's pretty distracting if you odnt have your priorities straight and enough independence to saometimes forgoe the fun stuff for the studying.

On the other hand the univ is easier in some ways. Sometimes cradits from community colleges dont transfer and if you start at the univ you plan to graduate from then there's an advisor there who can tell you exactly what to take to get out in time. Then there's a the great social stuff and other campus activites that aren't typically offered at a community college.


Finally I think if I had to do it all again I would have done the community college. I racked up over $40,000 in debt going to a STATE UNIVERSITY for 5 years. I graduated in '96 and am still paying for it. I switched majors three times in my first two years. At several hundred dollars per credit, that's a lot of dough down the drain! I also think of all of the pressure I put myself under at the end of HS, good grades, good SAT and all that. I have a buddy who drank beer and dropped out and then went to a community college. We both graduated from the same university in the same year, only he didnt have to work as hard!

Anyway I hope this was helpful!

Answer 3

The advantages of going straight to a university are :

1. You get out of your parents' house, away from your family and friends.
2. You have a better chance of making friendships that will last all the way through your college years and beyond. By the time you get there as a junior, friendships are already formed.
3. You don't have to worry about what courses will be accepted and what ones won't.
Disadvantage -- your classes can be huge, you are sometimes taught by teaching assistants instead of professors who are forced to publish or perish. Therefore, some think that you get a better education in a community college

Advantages of going to a junior or community college:
1. You save money by living at home
2. If you don't want to move away from your family and friends in town, you can still hang around with those that stay around.
3. It might be easier to get a job to help pay for expenses.
4. You are more mature when you do go to college so that you study more and party less.
5. Your classes are smaller and you get more attention from the professors. Professors at a community college are first and foremost teachers. They don't have to publish or perish.

Answer 4

The main advantage to community college is saving $$! The tuition is much less! You can also stay with parents or friends, which costs less than a distant dorm or apartment.

If you start your working life with tens of thousands of dollars in college loan debt, it hurts your quality of life, especially when you marry and start a family (which happens soon for some people!).

Some states have an agreement by which community college students virtually guarantee their transfer to a 4-year school within that state by filing/following a certain plan and receiving good grades in those classes (see a cc counselor for details in your state).

The first 2 years of college are mainly your GE (general education) classes anyway, while the later 2 years are concentrated more on your major (degree) classes, so you will not waste time at the CC, as long as you take the courses your 4-year school will accept later.
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Going straight to a 4-year school is best for these individuals:
1)mom&dad can afford to give you a "free ride" at any cost, anywhere;
2)you qualify for particular grants and scholarships (sports or academic full-rides) that make 4-yr a better financial choice;
3)you're entering a difficult field (pre-med? engineering?) or studying an unusual language should be best pursued at a 4-year;
4)the 4-yr you can attend is prestigious, doesn't accept transfer students, AND will be a good career move in your field.
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Crunch the numbers--compare! Good luck on your decision!

Answer 5

The choice depends on a lot of different circumstances. If you're unsure of your major, it may be best to start at a community college and take generals, and then transfer when you know what you want to do. Its also cheaper to take generals at a community college, as long as the credits transfer to the school that you want. The advantages of starting off right away at a university are that if you already know your major, you can start fufilling your specific requirments right away, and you don't have to worry about credits transferring.

Answer 6

"Better" and "wiser" are pretty subjective here. It depends on your criteria. Here are mine:

If you know what field of study you want to follow and are not worried about financial aid, go the university route. You'll be in a solid, academic environment with lots of resources, including advisors and other faculty, to help you make sure you get the most from your education.

On the other hand, if you are not sure what you want to study or can't afford a 4-year university right off the bat, starting at a community college would be less expensive, still give you college credit, and allow you to transfer when you do find your major. A word of caution about CCs: make sure that the coursework you take will transfer to the university you want to attend. You will want to keep in close contact with your advisor to assure this, and if you have a particular 4-year school in mind, keep in touch with their admissions folks to be sure your credits will transfer (they can't take away what you've learned, but it would be frustrating to spend 2 years studying and have to retake equivalent classes at your destination school).

Good luck to you--

Answer 7

Most people transfer just to get the basics in then they graduate from the megas.