Why do people look down on community colleges

In Jan. I will be going to a community college to futher my education. So I have been looking online to just read and see what college will be like.  Well I have come across a lot of sites that really down grade and down play community college. People seem to be saying anything less than a 4 year  is just not worth any ones time. Which I found hard to believe and understand.

Why is there such a mentality when it comes to get a higher education?

Dont worry about it.  I put myself through college w/ two small babies as a single mother.  I started at a community college because I could afford it.  I transferred after a year to a 4 yr University (all my credits transferred) and I was given a wonderful grant (of course this was years ago when money was still available).

Keep your eye on the prize...furthering your education.  Who knows, after 2 yrs you may want to go after the BS or BA.

Good luck.

I think it depends on the kind of job you're looking to get, mt2s. We actually get the local community college registration package every six months or so and... for alot of those things... community college can be a good thing.. english.. english as a second language, foreign language, etc.

But for alot of fields.. especially technical fields.. you ARE wasting your money. You won't get the type of education you need in.. computer science or engineering or architecture or.. what not.. from a community college. It might be a good way to STEP IN to a four year college.. but... it's not enough as stands.

And, and this is important, in today's economy.. it's arguable whether two years of education is enough.. whether you might be less qualified than your peer who took four. But really, I think, that depends on the job.

Here is a list of our programs of study:

http://www.altamahatech.edu/index.php?option= com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemi d=99

I am taking Business Office Tech. specializing in Medical Offices. I will probably after I get that go back for an Associate's degree on Admin. Office which is a higher degree in what I am already taking.

Idk.. My b/f is about to get his Associate's in Mechanical Engineering Technology from a community college. I think it's one of the smartest thing he's ever done. He used his GI Bill to pay for tuition and one GI Bill/month covered his entire tuition for the whole semester.. He'll end up with a great job out of school and no college debt... Granted, he'll be going to a University for his Bachelor's, but I think CC's are a great place to get a degree... unless you're my younger sister who is on the 6-year plan... lol

I also think he'll be able to find a job that offer's tuition reimbursement to cover his schooling for his Bachelor's...

good luck to you!!!

I think community college is an excellent place to start off.  Get all the generalized liberal arts courses out of the way for a fraction of the price, get the associate's degree, then transfer to a 4-year school to get your bachelor's degree in two years.  That's the best use of your money, in my opinion. 

There are also specialized programs that you can go through at a community college without having to go further, so, as previous posters said, it does depend on what you want to do afterwards.  Paralegals, x-ray techs, some nursing degrees (I know my mom got her LPN at a community college, but that was over 25 years ago) ... not everything requires a bachelor's degree.

I think it's a good start to save money before getting your bachelor's. That said, for a lot of fields not even a bachelor's degree is cutting it anymore. The bachelor's is the new h.s. diploma, in terms of jobs. But it's definitely a good platform to start. 

Community College is a good start, but beware of the transferring credit. If you plan to further your education later and want to attend a University make sure your credits will transfer. Most community college credits don't transfer well. Get the most for your money by doing some research in this area FIRST.

Community college is a great thing. All of your generic classes like math, history, chemistry, etc. should transfer. However, a class for a specific 2 year degree program, like math for paralegal studies (for example) may not.

Sometimes those 2 year technical/medical degree programs are a great way to get to school, get it done, and get a job right away.

Times are changing, I think. A bachelors degree doesn't guarantee a job anymore, like it used to. Now you need a masters. Some people may have more luck finding a job after community college with a specific applied associates degree than they might with a general bachelors degree. My husband does some hiring for the company he works for and so many people with bachelors degrees applied for the receptionist position. I think they were bachelors in arts degree, in this instance.

Community college can be a very wise decision for some, so it depends on your situation.  I went to a community college for a one-year certificate, got a great job because I was specifically trained for said job, and now my job is going to pay for my bachelor's with tuition reimbursment.  I have no student loans whatsoever.

For some people, bigger is always better. In my opinion, a two year degree or a certificate in something is better than only a high school diploma, a 4 year is better than that....and so on. It just depends on the person.

I really don't think that anyone going to school shiould be looked down upon, no matter where they are going. Learning more is learning more.

If you get a two year degree (at least an associates) it is said to be easier to transfer than if you transfer with 60 credit hours. Why? Because the school has to accept your degree as complete. They cannot say you need a different math, science, whatever. At least around here.

Either way, good for you!

Community College is a great place to start.  I'm an attorney, and I did my first two years at a CC before transfering to a private liberal arts college with some nice merit and merit/need based scholarships for which I qualified because of  my grades at the CC.  (I was home-schooled, and I don't know if I'd have gotten into the college without demonstrating at the CC that I was up to snuff.)

I agree with everyone on here. It's a great, affordable place to go but if you can transfer to a University afterwards, that's even better.

Just a thought: Some community colleges are connected with a larger University. For instance, in my county, the Community College is connected to Ferris State University. After 2 years, your credits easily go to the larger school and sometimes, you can still go to the CC campus but you're still at Ferris State.

the above advice is all really good

good place to start, way to reduce costs on required courses if you're going on to a 4-year college, it's the most appropriate education available for certain vocations (office management - you could lose out in a job interview to someone with a bachelor's degree, or your work experience could tip the scale in your favor - could go either way)

but the reason that community college is not looked at as being "equally good" as a 4-year college or a university is mainly because the teaching staff is often less credentialed (usually they have a Master's but not always, and they almost never have a PhD, which is often appropriate because not every subject or vocation needs that much theoretical knowledge) and they are often overworked, teaching way too many classes to do justice to all their students

that said, there are HEROIC community college instructors out there who DO provide excellent instruction

Going back, I WISH i would have gone to a community college, because it would have saved me SO much money, I ended up going to a 4 year private school and now have massive student loans...

but at the time i know in my HS everyone referred to the community college as teh "13th grade" bc i guess anyone could get in... and me feeling like "well i studied hard i should be able to get into a competitive school" was my reasoning for not attending..

oh well you live and you learn. i doubt when i have kids one day and i tell them to go to community college first that they will listen!

so i actually think you are making a smart move!! good luck!

I live in West Virginia but I'm able to take advantage of an opportunity in Kentucky.  Most of the community colleges and universities in Kentucky are involved in a great program where students start at the cc and then transfer to a university.  The programs are organized and the schools work together so everything transfers. 

Maybe there is something similar in your area?  You may decide that an associate degree is plenty but it would keep your options open.

Good luck.

there are HEROIC community college instructors out there who DO provide excellent instruction

So true.  I've had far better instruction in my community college courses than I did in many classes I took at University of California Santa Cruz.

often--not always, but often--community colleges play to the lowest common denominator.  anyone can get in, and almost anyone can teach.  many have programs designed for the unemployed/unemployable, and many will admit anyone who can pay tuition, regardless of whether or not they'll ever graduate.

but any educational experience is only as good as what you put into it.  if the program is meaningful and your effort is true, then other people's opinions won't matter.  just make sure you're investing in a program that you genuinely care about, because you could be going to Yale, but if you don't care, it won't pan out.

edit: because i think i was kind of harsh in my first paragraph.  when i say that colleges "play to the lowest common denominator" i meant...well, i think virtually all colleges have their bread-and-butter programs that pull in lots of people, process them through quickly, and spit them out the other end with certificates.  these programs are lucrative enough to allow those colleges to offer more involved academic programs.  what nomo said is true: often colleges have enthusiastic instructors who really know their stuff, but don't happen to have PhDs.  smaller classes, more hands-on instruction, co-operative learning, etc. can make for a much better experience than a more "academic" setting.

Those sites are trying to sell you their more expensive school. 

People in general might look down on community colleges because they assume that you will stop at an associates degree.  This is often not the case. 

I got my Associates on scholarship at a community college and then went on to a University to get my Bachelors.  Best money saving decision I ever made.... saved me about $14,000.00.  Community colleges are great.  You'll be the one laughing when you pay off your student loans years before everyone else :). 

Tip:  Make sure whatever school you choose is accredited and has transferable credits.  Most vocational college credits (think computer science, medical assistance, medical coding and billing, etc.) won't transfer to other colleges, so when you are done with your associates at their school, you can't go on to another college or uuniversity without starting from square one... happened to my husband and is possibly his biggest regret. 

I think the most important thing about community college is shopping around to find one that best suits your needs.  I was taking some classes for fun at our local CC a couple years ago...sign language and spanish.  One day I got to class early and heard the tale end of a lecture the bio prof was giving on genetics...and it was the saddest things I've ever encountered.  He had absolutely no idea what he was talking about (I know this for a fact because I have a masters in molecular genetics) and was unable to answer any of the questions posed on basic Mendelian genetics a student proposed.  It was apparent he wasn't nearly up to snuff...

I think most basic classes are okay...English, history, etc, but anything science or tech related I would shy away from.  There is very possibly a reason that prof isn't doing there own research or teaching in an established program.  I would just advise caution.