Who here has been to Community College ?

[compguy786]

Hey guys whats up

I am about to graduate in june from High school, and currently have not been accepted into any college =(
Next year i am probably going to go to Community College (Central Piedmont Community College,Charlotte,NC)
After 2 years i plan on transferring either to UNC Chapel Hill, or NC State. I wanted to know who here has been to community college and has transfered into a 4 year college and is successful in life as in Jobs etc ? And especially how was the experience, the comm college in Charlotte is in the top 5 for comm colleges, CPCC's education is better than some colleges.
thanks !

UPDATE - I am going to comm college next year and am pretty happy about it... i guess

 

[RudeBoie]

"I wanted to know who here has been to community college and has transfered into a 4 year college and is successful in life as in"

Whether you went to JC or not won't have any effect on your job prospects. You don't even need to list it on your resume. It's really all up to you and what you learn.

Of course!

JC isn't an issue at all. Especially in CA, it seems like a ton of my friends went to JC for more than the typical (bonehead) reasons. I am guessing your JC has some sort of transfer agreement with nearby schools to help in terms of a program for you to follow.

Btw, I went to UC Berkley after transferring from De Anza College in the Bay Area.

 

[amdskip]

I did, nothing wrong with saving some money.

 

[aircooled]

CPCC is a great CC. I went there back in the 80's, and the\y have completely revamped the place since then.

 

[AreaCode707]

I did. Spent a few years there in my teens, transferred to a UC when I hit 18, did two years there and graduated. Saved a BUCKETLOAD of cash, avoided the high school drama, graduated at 19. I have a great job now but it really doesn't have anything to do with the education I received.

I enjoyed my CC way more than university. I learned a ton more, it was more fun, teachers were nicer, students weren't so competetive. Very community oriented, you could do anything that interested you.

 

[compguy786]

for some reason CC is always associated with "dumb people go there"
thats definately not true...some ppl at my school graduated at top of their class and went to CC (surprised no scholarships)

 

[Electric Amish]

I did. I earned two AS degrees at the community college and then earned my BS in Computer Science at Weber State.

 

[BoomerD]

Eye ar kurentlee enroaled in comunitee kolege and am getin a fin eudkashun.

Depending ot the courses you take, and the requirements of the 4 yr school, this can be a good an inexpensive way to get those first 2 years (and much of your general ed requirement) out of the way before transferring. I think you'd want to contact the 4 yr school to find out which classes that are available in your CC would be considered transferrable before you start. I know that at the CC I attend, we have a full list of the classes available that are transferrable to the UC and CSU system, as well as advisors who can help you make the necessary choices. The 2 state systems also come to the campus a couple times per year to hold seminars on transferring and what is needed to make the transition...

 

[AbAbber2k]

Nothing wrong with CC. Get all the lame GERs out of the way for less money... transfer to a 4 year and do well in your major. You'll be fine.

 

[iversonyin]

Originally posted by: compguy786
for some reason CC is always associated with "dumb people go there"
thats definately not true...some ppl at my school graduated at top of their class and went to CC (surprised no scholarships)

Not necessarily, but CC does accept everyone. A lot of people go to CC then transfer to 4 yr. No shame in going to CC really.

 

[montanafan]

I went to one my first year out of high school and had no problems transferring to a university. Just always check with someone at the 4-year college you're planning to transfer to about the classes you're going to take to make sure they will transfer for full credit and at the same level there. And keep all receipts, records, and transcripts from the CC so that you'll have them if there are any questions when you transfer. Just throw them all into a box for later, just in case.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: HotChic
I did. Spent a few years there in my teens, transferred to a UC when I hit 18, did two years there and graduated. Saved a BUCKETLOAD of cash, avoided the high school drama, graduated at 19. I have a great job now but it really doesn't have anything to do with the education I received.

I enjoyed my CC way more than university. I learned a ton more, it was more fun, teachers were nicer, students weren't so competetive. Very community oriented, you could do anything that interested you.

I had a similar experience. I spent a couple years at the local community college after high school. I had a great time. It was cheaper by more than half of my current university. The classes weren't ridiculously packed (especially after the first few weeks, when most kids dropped out). The teachers were able to give you personal attention, which I loved.

I have two recommendations for succeeding in college:

1. Work first, play later: Do your homework ASAP, as soon as you get home or as soon as you get a chance. If you have a spare 20 minutes between classes, go to the library and work on your homework. If you stick to that simple rule you will always do well and have a low stress level.

2. Pick a major and stick with it: I met kids who had been at my local 2-year college for up to 4 or 5 years. No direction, scared to commit, lazy, indifferent, pick one. The point of college is progress. Pick a major, work towards it, get your degree. It's okay to change if you really need to; I changed from Computer Engineering to Computer Science to get more flexibility in the classes I want to take. I ended up staying at the local college for 2.5 years, but I got what I wanted and was able to transfer nearly all of my credits to my university. The point though is do your research, pick something, and stick with it. It's only a 2-year college and doesn't really have much impact on the rest of your college career should you choose to pursue a Bachelor's or Master's degree.

One last piece of advice, take care of yourself. Mostly, go to bed early (like before 10:30pm). It's wicked hard to pay attention in class when you're tired, and there are so many temptations in college...parties, girls, movies, video games, etc. Take care of yourself, take care of your homework first thing, and stick with your major. The most important part of college is finishing it. Finishing colleges proves that you can finish big projects, which is what companies are looking for.

 

[spacejamz]

if you are not making 6 figures by the time you are 20, you are a failure if you compare yourself to everyone here...

 

[Excelsior]

Do it.

 

[compguy786]

Originally posted by: spacejamz

if you are not making 6 figures by the time you are 20, you are a failure if you compare yourself to everyone here...

=(
def not gonna be a failure

 

[chusteczka]

A community college offers a cheap alternative for the two year degree with access to fully qualified professors instead of grad student TA's, extended office hours, and smaller class sizes. Additionally, a community college offers an average student a chance to excel and shine if willing to do the work. This provides energy and confidence that is typically not achieved by an average student in a university.

Make sure your program has a transfer agreement with the university you wish to attend. Check the transfer agreement with your second choice university also. Try not to get caught in the 5-year trap often associated with community colleges but this is not a loss since the educational opportunities are excellent in a community college.

A community college draws its professors from the community around it, which is often filled with extremely competent professionals who do not wish to live in the typical corn fields surrounding many universities. The competition for such teaching positions is high.

You have the opportunity to strengthen your study skills before attending the university. When you transfer to the university, it may be beneficial to retake the bottom level classes in your major since the upper level classes will assume knowledge that a transfer student most likely will not have seen.

Me:

• 6 years in the Navy as a submarine mechanic.
• 4 years community college, earned AS and AA.
• 1 year intern at Argonne National Laboratory while taking night classes at the community college to complete a minor in Accounting.
• 4 years at the University of Illinois with a BA in Computer Science.
• 2 years experience with the database aspect of financial reporting.

It took a long time for me to earn my BA degree but I did it with 168 semester hours and have a foundation of knowledge that provides me with security and stability.

 

[compguy786]

yeah ive been talking to alot of people about comm college...so i think im all for it...im just gonna try getting into UNCC again and see if i can get in

 

[shuttleboi]

There is nothing wrong with going to a CC. (note: I didn't attend one.) But you should be aware of several things:

1. If you are going to a local CC, you may be tempted to live at home with your parents and hang out with friends from high school who are still in your area. This will stunt your emotional growth to some degree.
2. In a similar vein, the CC schedule may be very close to what you have with high school. There may not be enough of a difference for you to work harder. When you get to the university level, things will move very fast.

So basically: CC life may be very similar to what you have in high school. Don't slack!

 

[erub]

I took 2 classes at community college while working on my undergrad degrees. The professors were actually pretty interesting. I took Goverment II and Public Speaking - classes like these, I see no problem with taking at a CC. Saves some serious cash and you probably aren't giving up much learning opportunity.

Personally, compared to EE classes at my university, they were a complete joke. I really don't understand how some people were failing tests in those classes, pretty much all they require is going to class, and taking notes when the professor says something multiple times (like, duh!) Maybe reading a chapter a week. I'd check with the universities you want to go to on your classes, go to CC, make a 4.0 (not that hard to do, if you keep up with reading/go to class/pay attention), then transfer after a year, maybe 2.

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: amdskip
I did, nothing wrong with saving some money.

i know LOTS of people that were able to get into university straight out of high school but went to community college instead to save money

 

[NoShangriLa]

IMHO, a person who work hard in any school will be rewarded.

<-- been to CC & Ivy league schools.

 

[nissan720]

Make sure the classes you take will transfer to the University you plan to attend.

I took 1 year at CC, In May I will have my BS in Electrical Engineering.

At CC the classes are easier, and the workload is easier to manage. Make good grades at CC your GPA will look great when you finish your degree.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: nissan720
Make sure the classes you take will transfer to the University you plan to attend.

I took 1 year at CC, In May I will have my BS in Electrical Engineering.

At CC the classes are easier, and the workload is easier to manage. Make good grades at CC your GPA will look great when you finish your degree.

Where did you go that your CC GPA counted towards your 4 year institution GPA?

 

[bugsysiegel]

I got an Associate's from Lakeland CC in Kirtland, Ohio. Planned on going to Cleveland State to get my Bachelor's, and maybe MBA later on, but of course, 75% of the classes didn't count towards the degree at CSU. So I had to basically start over and get another associate's degree before going on.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is: Make sure the classes you take will count towards your degree at Uni!

My credits all transfer, and even though I was awarded a business degree, it didn't count towards the bachelor's of business administration.

Oh well, company is paying for it anyway!

 

[erub]

Originally posted by: nissan720
Make sure the classes you take will transfer to the University you plan to attend.

I took 1 year at CC, In May I will have my BS in Electrical Engineering.

At CC the classes are easier, and the workload is easier to manage. Make good grades at CC your GPA will look great when you finish your degree.

My school (Texas A&M) didn't allow grades from other universities to be figured into your GPA. The classes appeared on your transcript but no grades even. A lot of people liked that cause they didn't worry about making a B/C when taking summer school classes at a different university. I didn't though, I needed A's so as to not raise the eyebrows of a graduate school.

I'm sure a lot of other schools are the same. I also didn't get GPA points for AP credits, boohoo for me, I had friends that went into UT-Austin with 40 hrs worth of A's before they even started! But I think that policy might have changed since then.