Hello, all! I wanted to talk with you all today about my experience attending a community college. This Spring Semester is full wth some of the best classes I’ve had yet. I love my professors and the subject matter we’re studying. I even love my Speech class, and that’s saying a lot! I’m normally such an anxious person, and this Speech class is helping me overcome my fear of public speaking and be more confident.
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What it’s like being a community college student
Hey, that’s me!
I’ve been a college student for three years now. When I first started going to college, it was all just a big mess. I didn’t stay dedicated to my classes, and I burned out especially because the loss of my dad was still relatively new in my life. I took a break from school for about eight months or so and focused on work in the meantime.
When I decided to go back to school finally, I decided to lessen my workload to a part-time schedule. Going to community college is flexible, and I feel like it’s the perfect starting point for students who work and are wanting a college education, too.
Now that our finances are a bit better I’m planning on going back to school full-time and taking advantage of summer sessions too. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to complete my associate’s where I’m currently attending because we are planning on moving at the end of this summer.
I’m a bit worried about having to transfer my credits, but I’m sure everything will turn out fine. I have so much on my plate right now I’ll worry about that when I cross that bridge.
My Major
I switched my major a few times in the beginning, and I know I’m going to change it one more time before I graduate. Thankfully I’ve never had to retake classes or lost money because I am progressing so slowly in my degree program. Now that I’ve taken all of my general education classes, it’s time to make my final decision when it comes to deciding on my major!
I definitely want to study something related to web design or graphic design. I’ve known how to program websites since I was in middle school and I’ve been teaching myself how to use Illustrator and Photoshop for about two years now. Even though I have knowledge of computers, I want to get a formal education just to smooth out the rough edges and improve upon my design skills. Plus, I still consider myself a beginner when it comes to designing logos or websites.
Transferring to a Four Year School
If I can afford it, I will consider transferring to a four-year school, but as of now, I’m aiming for an associate’s degree first.
I’ve thought a lot about what I want to do with my degree, but the primary purpose of getting a formal education is to improve the current skills I have now. I’d like to be my own boss and focus on freelance work, and possibly work part-time for design agencies in the future. I don’t want to be stuck in an office forty hours a week! Then again I don’t think any of us do.
My husband and I would also like to start expanding our family soon, and I think my chosen career field offers me a lot of flexible options to continue working.
I think education is an ongoing thing in life. I can’t say no to getting my bachelor’s degree later in life. In fact, I’d love to, and it’s a plan for the future! There are plenty of other career fields that require education for longer than two years, so I’m pretty lucky! I think this answer is going to be different for each person.
Graduation
With a full-time schedule, I will graduate next year! It’s such a pain in the ass knowing I still have quite a long ways after being a college student for three years now. Me graduating is dependent on a lot of factors: how my credits transfer to a new school and cost. At this point, I’m pretty positive I will be moving farther away, but we haven’t settled on a place yet. We have not had time to go out and look at places because Danny has been away for work. He’s a long haul trucker, so he only gets to be at home for a couple of days a month.
What I think about my community college experience
I love my experience with community college. I don’t think there’s a lot of value placed on a community college education, but that’s just a whole lot of bull. Your dedication will get you far in life, no matter the school you attended. At some point in your career, employers will care less about the school you went to and more about the experience you have under your belt.
Going to a two-year school is also an excellent way to get familiar with the college experience. I can’t compare the course load to a four-year school because I’ve never attended one. I will say though that community college all depends on how much of an effort you put into your grades. You can’t get a degree without slacking off!
I guess you can get away with not doing homework assignments sometimes, but trust me, start doing that, and it’s all a slippery slope from there. The better you understand the material, and the more you attend class, the better you’ll be in school. Course load also really depends on the professor and the subject material. If you don’t do what you’re supposed to do in class and out, you’re really only hurting yourself when it comes down to it.
I think community college is a great starting point for all college students, but I can understand why some students choose to go to universities all four years. Maybe they’ve already committed to a major, want the experience of going out of state, or don’t want to deal with transferring credits.
My college education has truly enriched my life. I’ve also had the pleasure of knowing some excellent professors! I’m sure if I hadn’t gotten to college I’d be a much less happy person than I am now. I feel happy knowing I get a little bit closer to my goal of graduating every day.
Going to college is not easy for everyone, and not everyone can do so. I’m so grateful going to school is something that I can still do. Some people will say “it’s just a community college,” and sure, there might not be anything special about going to community college, but it makes me happy, and I’m glad I get the opportunity to attend.
I hope you all enjoyed reading about my experience with community college! I don’t have any bad things to say about it. I’ve been truly blessed to be able to better myself this way, and I’m grateful for this blessing each day. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?
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