Community Colleges versus University

The first and most obvious benefit of community colleges is the fact they are in your neighborhood. The university experience depends on a four-year visit to a distant place where large numbers of people come together to share a learning opportunity. And, in this difference, you come to the main points. No matter what you might think of universities, and some of them are very prestigious, they are not for everyone. Some people are less comfortable away from home. It's also a lot more expensive, not just in terms of fees. You have to pay for accommodation, find all your own food and make a life for yourself in a new place. Programs at university colleges also attract large numbers. This creates a very impersonal atmosphere in lectures and classes. When you have more than twenty people in a class, it's very difficult for the professor to learn anything about a student's learning styles or interests. Indeed, many of those who get tenure at the larger university colleges only do so through their ability to publish and not because of their interest in teaching. Many students are left to teach themselves. Finally, the schedule tends to be quite restrictive with quite a heavy workload and time commitments that can make it difficult to hold down a job while working to pay all the bills. Switching to technical and community colleges, the fees for college courses are a fraction those charged by universities and there's a flexible schedule to enable students to work. Perhaps more importantly, with smaller class sizes and a reduced workload, students can explore academic options. Once you commit in a four-year university course, it's very difficult to change. Browsing through majors gives you a chance to decide what might interest you for four years. It's true, of course, you don't get the big-named professors at technical and community colleges. Except you often get dedicated teachers who are interested in their students and go out of their way to offer advice and support. But community colleges do not have faculties full of experts who can offer a high-quality curriculum. In any event, this might be too much of a stretch since many students will have failed to get the grades for university entry. Indeed a proportion of students on college courses are likely to be uninvolved and a source of tension in classes.