Editorial: Community College Prepares Students for Four Colleges
By: Ashley Arseneau
Issue date: 5/3/10 Section: Opinion
Community College has been more than helpful to this soon to be Worcester State Transfer student. While I am not earning my associates degree from Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC), I would not have started my college career at any other school if given the chance.
Upon graduating high school, I had little idea to what I wanted to do with my life, possibly maybe something in writing. I had no direction and few plans. I just thought I would take some liberal arts classes here at MWCC. Since then, I have become more aware of what I want to do with my life and feel more confident about the future.
If I had gone straight to a four year school from high school I do not think I would have done well at all. I do not even think I would have stayed at one school for the four years. By taking two years to take classes close to home, I was able to get my head on straight. This gave me the confidence to apply to other schools and make a confident decision about which college to attend.
Any student could benefit by starting their studies at a Community College. Not only will a person save a good sum of money, they will also get a chance to see if they really like a chosen major without wasting too much of their money. I remember my freshman orientation, in the fall of 2008, when Dr. Bates said to all new students that this was a place they where welcome to make mistakes. He meant that here a student can change their mind and wait to choose a major, switch majors, drop and retake classes, or even fail a class and take it again another semester.
For all those who are graduating high school and feel a little (or a lot) lost, community college is one of the best options. According to Pat Brewerton, Career Development Counselor, "64% of graduates transfer to four year institutions." Just imagine if those 64% had not attended MWCC first. Even for students not coming from high school, MWCC is a great starting off point whether someone stays for one semester or a few years.
Upon graduating high school, I had little idea to what I wanted to do with my life, possibly maybe something in writing. I had no direction and few plans. I just thought I would take some liberal arts classes here at MWCC. Since then, I have become more aware of what I want to do with my life and feel more confident about the future.
If I had gone straight to a four year school from high school I do not think I would have done well at all. I do not even think I would have stayed at one school for the four years. By taking two years to take classes close to home, I was able to get my head on straight. This gave me the confidence to apply to other schools and make a confident decision about which college to attend.
Any student could benefit by starting their studies at a Community College. Not only will a person save a good sum of money, they will also get a chance to see if they really like a chosen major without wasting too much of their money. I remember my freshman orientation, in the fall of 2008, when Dr. Bates said to all new students that this was a place they where welcome to make mistakes. He meant that here a student can change their mind and wait to choose a major, switch majors, drop and retake classes, or even fail a class and take it again another semester.
For all those who are graduating high school and feel a little (or a lot) lost, community college is one of the best options. According to Pat Brewerton, Career Development Counselor, "64% of graduates transfer to four year institutions." Just imagine if those 64% had not attended MWCC first. Even for students not coming from high school, MWCC is a great starting off point whether someone stays for one semester or a few years.
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