Just Because I Went to Community College Doesn't Mean I'm Lazy

Too often I see people sneer at the thought of going to community college in lieu of a four year school after graduating.  I remember watching the movie Accepted and wondering why these kids were acting as though the concept of going to community college was worse than not going to college at all.  I don't understand where this mentality comes from.  The fact that they cost less and let almost anybody in does not mean the quality of their classes is any less that that of comparable classes at a four year school.  In fact, I believe my decision to put off going to a four year school and attend community college was the best decision I could have made at that point in my life.

Upon graduating,  I had the option of going away for college or attending a community college less that twelve minutes from my parents' house.  I chose the later, and obtained a two year degree.  This experience was very rewarding.  The professors were very talented, and some of the best educators I've had taught at this school.  One professor joked that we could fail his Calculus class three times for the cost of taking the equivalent at a four year school once.  While still not a good thing to fail a class, doing so for a third of the cost at community college would allow for less dedicated students to realize they need to work harder without losing out on as much financially.  They say college is not for everyone, and isn't it better to realize it at a cost of $1500 worth of tuition versus $10,000 worth of tuition and room and board at a different school.  The two year degree I obtained allowed me to transfer to any school, and the counselors worked with me based on the program I wanted to go into at a future four year school.  When I graduated with a bachelors degree from a four year school, I did so with zero debt.  I had to finance only two years at the more expensive school rather than four.  I also had the benefit of a couple more years working at my job in my hometown to build up my savings.  Community college gave me the head start I needed.  It is the end result that matters in the long run, not the means one uses to achieve it.