BY VIRGINIA PENIAS
With seniors already working on college applications, countless students eagerly await their high school graduation so they move on to the next chapter in their lives. With the parties, freedom, and new profound independence, college is often referred to as “greatest years in a student’s life”. However, going away to a university and experiencing the “college life” has its consequences. With tuition to pay and grades to earn, going away to a big college isn’t the best choice for everyone.
Community colleges offer students the satisfaction of being able to complete college courses with the convenience of living at home. Unfortunately, tuition and fees, as well as textbooks have to be paid for, but, these costs are much cheaper at a community college. According to admissions.fsu.edu, the basic components of the cost of college include tuition and fees, room and board, and books. However, according to campussplash.com, living in a dorm in a Florida university, such as Florida State University, would be around $3,700 for food, $1,000 for books, $1,400 for insurance, $1,200 for transportation, and $1,000 spent personally, totaling up to around $5,500 a year. On the other hand, according to usnews.com, it costs only about $1,100 a year for full-time tuition at a community college.
Going away for college gives kids the freedom of being away from their parents (which usually means spending many nights out partying and socializing with other students). Living at home with parents could be the motivation that most kids need to focus on school work and limit their leisure time. With most students changing their major at least once during college, it’s important for students to stay focused during this crucial transition between teen and adult.
Obtaining admission to a university can be very difficult. Schools look for a variety of things from their applicants; including grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities. Basically each student has to be a well-rounded individual in order to even be considered. In Florida, when students don’t get accepted into their favorite universities because their grade point average (GPA) isn’t high enough, they are given the opportunity to boost their GPA by attending their local community college for two years. Once the student completes the two years, they are guaranteed admission into any Florida University
Lastly, the first two years of college are mostly composed of your core classes. These classes have to be taken regardless of where you’re attending school. Why spend so much money when you could take the same classes for a substantially cheaper price?
Just because you attend a community college doesn’t mean you are going to have a “bad” job or miss out on fun. Offering an outlet for kids who just don’t match up to the requirements, Community College is a viable solution.
