Thank you for the topic. I am not sure what I can contribute, but I am sure that I would like to hear much more from the students. How can that happen?

Timmy

I went straight to a private four-year college in California and I think it was the best choice for me. I did get a full scholarship and couldn’t have done gone there if I hadn’t had it. I would have probably gone to Columbia or Modesto JC without scholarships.

Part of going to college is being part of the college community – going to lectures, cultural events, etc. This is much more developed at a four-year college (this clearly depends on the college and where you are located!).

I was not ready to go far from home and only considered colleges in Northern California. I think this is really up to you – if you feel like you want to go out of state – go ahead!

Also, my parents always talked about my going to college even though neither of them had a college degree – so they always pushed me in that direction.
There were a lot of kids in my high school who never intended to go to college and just wanted to get through high school – most of them didn’t drop out, though.

Good luck!

As I see it, the best course of action for most high school graduates is to: complete your (first two) freshman and sophomore years at a community college because: (a) it is much less expensive than attending a four year college or university; (b) class sizes are smaller, affording you more quality time with your instructor; (c) the same College Accreditation Board mandated General Education requirements needed to complete your first two (freshman and sophomore) college years are offered at all 108 plus California community colleges; (d) if you’re a good student and competing for grades at a community college you will likely do much better than competing with top (high school grad) freshmen and sophomores at a four year (name brand) college or university. This will result in your achieving a higher GPA during your first two years of college, and an overall higher GPA upon completion of your four year degree, making you better GPA qualified for applying to graduate schools; (e) it is easier (providing you’ve taken the proper community college transfer courses) to enroll in your first choice California public (i.e., U.C. school) as a (third year) junior than as a (first year) freshman; (f) by completing your first two college years at a community college, instead of a four year college or university, you will save a lot of money (especially if you stay/live at home). The money you save can be applied to your final two (junior & senior) years, and then graduate school if that’s your objective. It will also lighten your student loan burden enabling you to keep more of what you earn in your first (etc.) job; (G) as in “G wiz or Golly Gosh! If you want to impress your friends AND give your parents something to brag about, enroll at say Columbia Community College in Tuolumne County. If anyone asks where you’ve been accepted, tell them you’re “going back east to Columbia.” Just don’t tell them HOW FAR back east or which Columbia you’ll be attending. They’ll think you’re a frigging genius and you’ll save a ton of bucks and most likely get a better quality first two year (freshman & sophomore) education than you would at a four year brand name school. And when you finally end up with your four year college or university diploma from Stanford, U.C. Berkeley, or San Francisco State, etc. it will contain NO MENTION of your having completed your first two years at a California Community College. It’ll be our little secret, I promise!

In conclusion I’d recommend that you review some of Marty Nemko’s articles on ‘Education and Training’ [ http://www.martynemko.com/articles#education-amp-training ] One of my favorite: ‘College: America’s Most Over Rated Product (abridged)’

College – such a can-of-worms! My first attempt, off to UCD straight out of high school, lasted six months – just two quarters. Then I dropped out before I flunked out. I just wasn’t ready for that much personal responsibility at 18.

Four years later, after I’d been living on my own for a couple of years (waiting tables, factory worker, etc. – in the 70′s and 80′s it was possible to support oneself on a minimum-wage salary), I enlisted in the Air Force so I could go back to school.

I used to recommend the military whole-heartedly to any student who was concerned about college costs, but I can’t do that now. It’s a shame, because the military aptitude testing guided me into my career. I didn’t even know what a “computer programmer” was, and I’m still doing it 25 years later.

Out-of-state, go for it! I got my degree from a small private college in IL. I met people from all over the country, and got to be their “hippy-chick from CA”, which wasn’t at all how I was seen back here at home. I’m sure the people I went to school with were also trying out new personas to see how they fit and how they felt.

The most important thing I want to share from my experiences is that there are second chances. If the first year of college doesn’t work out, or the school isn’t what it was supposed to be, there are ways to make it better.

My sister took ten years to get her bachelors (marriage, divorce, unplanned pregnancy, almost lost the baby and had to quit her job, went on welfare, baby’s father was more interested in drugs than in her and the baby, Clinton’s welfare reform almost forced her out of her engineering degree and into cosmetology school – and lots more struggles along the way!) and then got her masters degree in two. Anything is possible if you want it enough, and don’t give up.