College Decisions
- Alyssa Adams
- May 2, 2017
- 2 min read
As a teenager, college takes up most of your thoughts as you come to the end of your high school carer. I remember feeling overwhelmed by making this decision because, let’s face it, as a teenager, I may have not been quite ready to make that decision. A four year college seemed like my only option right after high school, especially when a majority of my friends were looking at schools such as NYU and Cornell, but another option was at my disposal, one I do wish I took into consideration: community college.
Community college can often get a bad reputation, so, I applied to four year universities, turning down my free two year education at my community college, in favor of a school with $45,000 worth of tuition fees. My friend, Haley, took the community college route.
Right after high school, Haley went to our local community college before heading off to Ramapo College in New Jersey in pursuit of her Bachelor’s degree. Here is what she had to say.
What would you say are the advantages & disadvantages of starting at community college? Haley: “The advanatge is the amount of money you save and figuring out what you want before wasting time at a 4 year. The disadvantage is that it’s harder to make friends and commuting is really annoying.”
What led you to choose community college? Haley:“I chose community college because I didn’t know what I wanted to do and it was a good way to save money.”
If you could go back, would you take the same route? Haley: “Now that I know what I want to do, I wish I could go to Ramapo for 4 years especially because of all the friends I’ve made, but I did save a lot of money going to community college, so yes, I would do it again.”
How do you think your time at community college prepared you for life at Ramapo? Haley:“Community college was a good place between high school and a 4 year school because I was still living at home, but I was being challenged more in my school work, so it was better for me to get used to having a heavy workload, while having my family there to support me.”
I would not say that I regret my decision to enter into a four year school right after college, but I do regret brushing off community college as not an option. Life is about thinking smart and making the right decisions concerning your future, and part of that is considering all of your options before making any big decision.
Comments