Community College Goals

Philosophy of the community college that Addison makes it precise and straight to the point that it’s an amazing stepping stone for everyone. For the less privilege, for the people who do not know what career path to choose, and for those who refuse to drop one thousand dollars on just one class. Though for some reason that community colleges are not as popular as universities. Any student or any who want to become a student can walk into a community college and literally

Even in Liz Addison’s text, “Two Years are Better than Four”, she argues that “The community college system is America’s hidden public service gem” (Addison, 257). There are so many Dixon 2 community colleges across the country that offer the two-year degree path, but not many people know about them, so you can go to a two-year community college and still get a degree. Not to mention, this opens a new door for opportunity for people that don’t want to spend four-years earning a degree either because of time or money issues. If you look back at Murray’s text, it goes on to talk about how some careers dont even require four years of education to get some jobs, although it does require that you get at least a bachelor's’ degree to be considered good at those jobs. Community college introduces those students who would never even dream of having the college experience, in an easier way.

Community College is a new beginning for everyone that enrolls. The access to college allows them to broaden their minds, discover their passions, and push themselves forward. Community college opens doors for their students that they would never have believed that they were there before. It gives the students a chance to explore and see what they are truly wanting to do with their lives. Addison writes, “Just follow any one of the 1,655 road signs, and pop your head inside - yes, they let anyone in – and there you will find discoveries of a first independent film, a first independent thought, a first independent study.

Can Two Be Greater Than Four? Does college really matter? Has college lost its rite to passage appeal? Can one still go to college and be successful in the pursuit of self-discovery? These are the types of questions that Liz Addison challenges in her short essay “Two Years Are Better Than Four”. By taking into account my own experience as a current community college student and advocate, in this response to Addison’s essay I choose to elaborate on her views of community college being better than a four year university in the sense of offering a better college experience.

After obtaining my associate degree I began my own step team and mentoring the young ladies at Arbor Hill Elementary in Albany NY. I then decided to continue my education with obtaining my bachelors degree in Business Administration. Being that I have become a mother of two, I knew that the chances for me to go into the classroom were slim to none. I made the decision to return back to school online to Everest University. By the time I started I relocated back to South Carolina to helped out my dad that was sick at the time.

In the United States a community college is defined as a nonresidential junior college offering courses to people living in a particular area. They are post secondary schools and are also referred to as junior colleges, vocational or technical schools because generally the course of study is for two years. The student can earn an associates degree or certification and/or continue their education by transfering to a four year college to complete their educational pursuits and earn a Bachelor 's degree. Community colleges started in the late 1800’s and have grown and evolved over the years. Today many four year colleges and universities have become so expensive to attend that many prospective students are opting for the more affordable alternative of a community college for their first two years of study where they can save money by living at home and taking classes that will transfer to a four year institution, however, there are students that cannot afford the lower cost of community colleges.

As the month of November comes along annually, every single high school senior is forced to decide which path they are going to take after graduating. For some, it is easy to choose which college to attend and how to pay for it. But, for many, it is extremely difficult to figure out a way to get the funds for college. So, they choose the community college route. Community college is drastically cheaper than tuition at a four year university.

When I first graduated high school I thought I wanted to be a pilot to fly airplanes, so I signed up to attend classes at Kishwaukee College located in DeKalb. ECC helped me sing up for classes at an in district rate because Elgin could not offer the courses that I wanted to me. During the first semester I found out that I did not want to become a pilot anymore and that I would be happier if I changed and focused on computer science. The advisors helped me schedule classes back at ECC for computer science then next semester. During the last year and a half at ECC I have been able to start fulfilling my education goals by getting a good education and find out what I want to go to college for.

Ten years ago, I immigrated to the United States and ever since I have been an undocumented immigrant. Due to my legal status in the United States, I felt like I was restricted from certain situations and possessions and would never be able to succeed. I was not living the normal life of a seven-year-old. Instead, I had to learn to cope and adapt to a whole new culture. Even though the drastic change at such a young age was a challenge, it has shaped who I am today.

Most community college students have a life outside their school life. Some may have more priorities than others, but they still have to pay for things, manage time, and most work at least a minimum of ten hours . There are many students that don 't return for the second year at a community college for many reasons, but the main reason is that many community college students have experienced debt. Which leads to why many first time Community College students don 't return for the second year due to money issues. First, many community college students have to work several hours while going to school.

Finding motivation to attend college is easy, keeping the motivation to finish is the difficult part. I decided to enroll in college to earn my Bachelor’s degree in Business with a concentration in Finance. I hope that the degree will give me the opportunity to apply for a better position within the organization that I currently work for. A secondary goal of returning to school is to demonstrate to my son that attending college is required for many jobs and that returning to school as an adult has various difficult challenges. I have been working for the past nine years as an Assistant Financial Officer and am highly competent at my job.

College was always one of my long term goals as I continued with my education. Throughout the years I began to work harder and harder so I could secure my future. I knew that getting to college would not be easy. I am about to embark on a four year journey in one of the hardest fields to pursue. I will continue my education as a Nursing major at a four year university.

During three years of studying in LACC my goal was to obtain an AA degree then transfer to the University of Northridge or Cal State LA. I am majoring in Accounting and have a GPA of 3.91. I keep myself occupied by studying and working at LACC at the same time. The experience that I am obtaining working at an academic field is simply amazing because I interact with people of various education levels and work experiences. I live with my mother and sister who has two kids and help her to take care of them.

Community colleges are important because they provide an affordable alternative to postsecondary education. They offer open admission, flexible schedules, and convenient locations. Community colleges make up a large part of the higher education system, enrolling more than six million students and growing rapidly. They help students become prepared to enter the workforce or transition into a four-year school. But even with all the steps taken to make community colleges accessible to all, there are still thousands of students who cannot afford to attend.

I wish to attend college to further enhance my education, to be a first generation college student, and to become a better version of myself. First, I wish to enhance and further my education. Knowledge is the key to success and those keys can unlock doors never before seen. A high school diploma is great but it is not enough for me or any huge company.