At one point or another in your college career, you might wonder whether or not you should take community college classes. The idea might seem like it’s intimidating, a waste of time, or more hassle. It certainly can be frustrating to have one more thing cutting into your breaks, or one more thing adding to your plate. However, in nine times out of ten, it’s worth it. Here are seven reasons why.
Reason #1: You Knock Lower Division Classes out of the Way
The most obvious reason to take community college classes is to get more credits. The idea is simple: do lower division classes at the community college so that you don’t have to do them at the university. As I mention below, this saves you time in multiple ways, and it can give you much-needed schedule flexibility. Best of all, it can be easier, and you might not have to deal with notoriously difficult professors. By using Rate My Professors, you can figure out if this would be a good move for you. You can also consider whether or not a certain lower division class is difficult to get. Sometimes, with the number of students that need to take a class and the amount of sections offered, it’s difficult to get into a class on time. Community colleges are incredibly useful here.
Reason #2: It’s Often Some of the Same Professors
If you want to take community college classes but are worried about a difference in quality, there’s usually no need to fear. Community college professors often are the same quality as four year university professors. Furthermore, many four year university professors moonlight at community colleges. This can be good or bad, depending on your selection of professors. However, there’s usually a mix, so you’re pretty likely to see at least one new face for each subject.
Reason #3: You Save $$$
Four year universities are expensive. Even if you go to a state school or have scholarships, the costs still stack up. Community colleges can be free, almost free, or low cost, depending on your situation. In almost every case, however, it will be less expensive to take community college classes than it will be to take them at a four year university. Especially if you don’t want to risk retaking a difficult class or spend money on a semester’s worth of books, it might be wise to take community college classes. In my experience, the classes have always been cheaper, and you can always look into financial aid there, too.
Reason #4: You Might Have Registration Priority
At my university (SDSU), your registration priority for classes was based off of how many units you had. If you came in with a lot of units, you got to sign up for classes first. This helped to create more ideal schedules. Additionally, it helped to ensure that you actually got into difficult classes with high demand. Most (if not all) universities work this way with registration priority as well. Get those classes out of the way so that you can get the classes you want when you want!
Reason #5: You Allow Schedule Flexibility
This is pretty simple. If you take community college classes, you knock credits out of the way. This not only fulfills class requirements, but it also means that you can ease up on your schedule. If you have a major that requires you to take close to 18 units every semester to graduate in four years, this will help you to have more flexibility. If you want to add an extra major, you can use these classes to get the boring stuff out of the way. Essentially, by doing classes that are easier and faster, you get to enjoy your regular college experience more.
Reason #6: You Can Try New Things–Low Pressure
If you want to try out a new career path or take a class for fun, this isn’t your four year university transcript. Classes that you take can be transferred, and you can order transcripts to your university. This is what most people do. It’s also why you should still try in these classes. However, you don’t have to worry about spending an entire semester on a class or failing it. This gives you more room to enjoy that experience without stressing too much. It also lets you have the time and space to figure out what you really want! Why not take a class in art or aviation? You never know what you might love.
Reason #7: You Save Time/Do Classes Faster
If you take a summer or winter session class, you’re doing a college class in 4-8 weeks. Can this be a lot of work? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Think about a math or history class that you’re dreading. What if you could get through it in four weeks instead of 16? Is that not incredibly tempting? Even if it happens during a break, it’s usually worth it, that way you don’t have to suffer through an entire semester of the subject and you can dedicate more time and effort to other classes.
A Final Word
It can seem like a pain to deal with extra community college things. However, I am incredibly glad that I took advantage of community college classes during my time at university. This is the sentiment that I have seen across the board as well. Not only does it save you time and money, but it also lets you try new avenues and explore your interests without pressure. How have your experiences been taking community college classes on the side? Drop it in the comments.
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