*I am a community college president. Community colleges are a great economic value*
The key word is community, like a ‘sense of community’. 4 year ‘institutions can be intimidating for an 18-year-old away from home for the first time. The CC cuts them down a notch-good. Once a 4 year degree is awarded it doesn’t matter where the 1st 2 years were spent.
* The only time I would disagree is if you are planning on being a physician or a vet.* You’ve got a point there.
*I am just four courses short of an associate degree-wonderful experience. Btw, I earned a doctorate in the 1970s.*
Your post scares me. I have nightmares. B.A but didn’t’t finish H.S. so I had to go back-the left behind syndrome. It’s the nightmares. Then there’s the prospect(nightmare) of not making it in this world and going back into the military as a 40 year old Lt. Weird.
*Community college is a great stepping stone for many.*
Same with the military.
I am a 68 y/o Electrical Engineer.
I got started with 2 years CC, and got my BSEE at a great SEC university. Pretty much everything transferred. Saved lots of money, even way back then.
BTW... I still have nightmares as well. My nightmare scenario involves sleeping through my Fields final exam in the last semester of my senior year.
If you are going to a “hard” degree, CC will not help you.
The course work does not prepare you for something like engineering. I saw a lot of kids flunk out after 2 years of CC, only to find they were a year or more behind in calc and chemistry.
Community college can work, but to say it provides the same value as a good state school or a private school simply is no true.