While there are many distinct advantages that can be associated with attending a community college, there are a few disadvantages that I would not mention. We all like to look on the bright side, and the good in my opinion about community colleges, at least as a stepping stone to college, far outweigh the bad. However, if you're considering community college as an option, whether it's for your associate's degree itself, or if you plan to move on to the university level after graduation, you should see the big picture and not just sunshine and flowers.
The first thing you should be aware of, especially for those students who are planning to transfer, is that you should always check with the college you want to attend next to make sure the courses you are taking are at the community school level. are compatible with the university's core requirements. In many cases they are similar enough to be considered compatible, but there are exceptions and it's better to find out sooner rather than later. If you plan to attend a university that is close to the community college you are attending, you should check to see if they have any articulation agreement that will allow associate degree graduates to transition seamlessly.
Many states are stepping in and passing laws that require colleges in their particular states to accept community college credits as transfer credits in an effort to keep skilled workers in the state. Some universities even offer distance learning programs to associate degree programs to allow students who live further away from campus to access educational opportunities that would have been denied to them in the past. Of course, if you live in one of these states, the former disadvantage can now work in your favor.
Many community colleges do not offer residential options, and most of those that do are still largely commuter campuses rather than dormitories. Rather than spending funds on housing, these colleges tend to reserve their spending to help with academic activities. Community colleges in rural areas are much more likely than those in larger cities to offer on-campus housing. The lack of on-campus housing makes participation in sports and other activities somewhat more difficult than colleges that are predominantly residential in nature.
If you choose to make community college your last stop when it comes to your personal educational experience, you are denying yourself a lot of earning potential over the course of your life. For this reason, you should seriously consider the benefits of transferring to university for your educational goals.
My biggest complaint about community colleges compared to larger universities was the fact that there are so limited opportunities to take specific classes than compared to those college level classes. You will find that you must stay in your sequence of courses at the community college level or risk needing an extra semester or year to meet the requirements for your associate's degree. Universities tend to offer more flexibility, especially in the lower-level courses that everyone is required to take.
My other major complaint when it comes to community college is the fact that they often have much smaller libraries than universities. This severely limits the ability of students to conduct extensive research except in rare cases. Universities simply have deeper pockets than the average community college. Because of this, they will have larger libraries and a lot more bells and whistles than the average community college. Hopefully we will also see this change over time. Despite the disadvantages that may be associated with community college education, I feel that they are greatly outweighed by the advantages that a community education environment offers.
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