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Did you go to community college?

What was the experience like?

Did it launch you to biggest things?

by Anonymousreply 33August 16, 2020 12:43 AM

I did. And, in away, it did launch me to bigger things. It gave me the confidence to move on to university, which changed my life in many productive and meaningful ways.

If you’re considering doing it.....do it!

by Anonymousreply 1August 11, 2020 9:59 PM

I went to community college* to earn a bunch of relatively-inexpensive associate degrees after I attended traditional four-year universities and had already earned masters and doctorates from standard colleges.

*The NOVA campus was less than a five minute drive away from my home at the time, so going to class was really convenient, and I took plenty of online courses as well.

Many people that attended classes there with me, especially the younger demographic, were only there because they couldn't get into a real college and there was still the expectation that they should be seeking higher education, or because they got into a four-year uni and never attended class, got wasted all semester and got sent home before the first year was up.

Those same students were hardly ever in class at community college, or dropped all their courses mid-semester because they couldn't bear to go to school.

by Anonymousreply 2August 11, 2020 10:17 PM

Anyway, to answer your question, yes, I went on to earn bachelor's and master in some of the subjects in which I earned associate degrees in community college--botany was easily my favorite major that I picked up in CC and went on to study more extensively later.

You have to be determined and strategic in order to advance, though. You can't expect the school to motivate you or give you direction that you don't already have to begin with.

by Anonymousreply 3August 11, 2020 10:22 PM

Only for a pottery class.

by Anonymousreply 4August 14, 2020 12:57 AM

Just how many degrees do you have R2, R3. You seem like a real odd bird! Multiple masters and doctorates? And dozens of misc bachelor degrees?

by Anonymousreply 5August 14, 2020 1:02 AM

It's great if you want to be a nurse's aide (aka certified nurse). Easy classes, quick courses and the field of health care is all yours.

They you can work for minimum wage the rest of your life.

by Anonymousreply 6August 14, 2020 1:05 AM

I took some classes my senior year of high school in order to CLEP out of core curriculum classes you're expected to finish in university. I can't say it launched me to bigger things, but it did expand my knowledge and creative skills a year earlier and gave me more freedom to take other extracurricular classes in university, which IMO made me more well-rounded.

by Anonymousreply 7August 14, 2020 1:07 AM

Yes, but I can't claim that it benefited me in career terms. I was working full-time, so I started taking evening class in Horticulture, which is my real interest. I enjoyed the class, my instructors, my fellow students and the discipline to juggle my job and classes. I was at the top of my class, but I gave up on getting a degree once I realized I'd probably end up working for a lawn service instead of an arboretum. For me, adult education was its own reward.

by Anonymousreply 8August 14, 2020 1:09 AM

I did. I was a subpar student in high school -- I just wanted to party, ditch, chase after guys, sneak into clubs, and have a good time. Going to CC and later on transferring to a uni inadvertantly saved me from the mountain of debt which has hampered other peers my age.

by Anonymousreply 9August 14, 2020 1:10 AM

*inadvertently^^

by Anonymousreply 10August 14, 2020 1:11 AM

I did, mainly because I graduated high school after the recession and my parents/I couldn't afford to pay university tuition at the time. I followed through after and went on to get a bachelor's degree at a local public university, followed by a master's at a private university across the country. I wouldn't say it "launched me to big things," but it was the starting point for a lot of life experiences. I enjoyed my time at community college, to be honest—the instructors at community colleges are largely young and underpaid adjuncts, but I always found them to be very passionate about the subjects they taught—they sort of have to be if they're willing to take the garbage pay they get.

by Anonymousreply 11August 14, 2020 1:13 AM

[quote] I enjoyed my time at community college, to be honest—the instructors at community colleges are largely young and underpaid adjuncts, but I always found them to be very passionate about the subjects they taught

So did I. Much more one-on-one attention and professor approachability. Having a sprinkling of older working adults as peers added some interesting, 'real world' perspective to class discussions as well.

by Anonymousreply 12August 14, 2020 1:32 AM

Unfortunately yes. I have a Bachelor's and a JD from "name" schools. After 9/11 while considering a career change I took some general prerequisites before returning to a Master's program. They are the worst run programs administratively speaking. Unless you are dealing with a timed program such as P.T.A. or Criminology there is zero effort put forth to move the students along. Those programs publish their graduation rates and use them to recruit. The "professors" are part-time local "experts". I had to go to campus and sit face to face with some administrator school to explain why I should be given credit for an Intro to Business Law class. I had one excellent class, the professor was a retired CPA whose wife made him leave the house. This after sending my transcripts 3 separate times. It's sad because they could be so much more.

by Anonymousreply 13August 14, 2020 1:34 AM

R13 is mostly accurate but I still think community college is a great way to get your bullshit prereqs out of the way if you intend to transfer to a four year college and don't have a ton of scholarships to pay for it. If you don't have a lot of money but want to graduate from an expensive 4-year school, community college can save you tens of thousands of dollars without much personal or academic impact. Those basic courses like Psych 101, American History, English 101 and College Algebra have nationally standardized curricula, so you're going to get more or less the same class no matter where you take it. This is especially useful for adult learners who are going to school or back to school after a long break of being in the workforce and need to take online classes, or for people who have GEDs or were otherwise not great students in high school.

by Anonymousreply 14August 14, 2020 1:43 AM

Troy aka Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino is a hot pockets gay!!!!

by Anonymousreply 15August 14, 2020 1:53 AM

Other side of the lectern here. I went from four-year undergrad to seven years of MA/PhD, all public school. I landed my dream, "retire from" job at 32 years old at a prestigious private university.

Ten year on, I had moved to another city that has a huge city college. I thought I would try to level my karma a bit and ask if they could use me to teach a class for them, something in the evening, in my immediate area or close enough. Or even writing. They had job openings, both for tenure-track and part-time faculty. I just wanted to get out of the house a few nights a week. I got a meeting with the dean in early June. At first, the dean was skeptical and suspect – I had a full-time job at a major school. I told him, fine, just keep me in mind if your needs and my desires match up.

Literally the Friday before classes started, at the CC and my own school, I got a call. He had a desperation in his voice. Could I teach a section of their intro course to Humanities and Social Sciences "Intro to World Cultures." It met twice a week from 7-8:40PM. I agreed and he emailed me the syllabus.

I did not know exactly what to expect, but I prepared myself for unmotivated students. I went to the campus to check out the classroom over the weekend and then Tuesday evening went to teach the class for the first time. It took a couple weeks, but I fell in love with teaching those students. The ranged in age from 18-70 and represented the whole spectrum of SES. And they did the readings in advance of class, which doesn't happen so much as my "real" job. They were thoughtful in their classroom discussions and respectful of each other and me. Their quizzes were very good. But they could not write well. Like, really badly.

So I talked to the dean about the remarkably low level of rhetorical skills among the students. He threw his hands into the air and shrugged. "Welcome to City College!" I asked the one other professor who was in the (shared) office when I arrived. He had taught there for years, in Sociology IIRC. He said something like, that's who we teach here. The next day, before I went to work, I stopped by campus to visit the writing center. There I learned that they have aides that any professor can attach to their class. They will work with students in groups or individually on their writing skills. I signed up right away and the next night, the aide showed up to class. I introduced her and she made a 1-2 minute presentation then left.

Toward the end of the semester, I had noticed that the students' exams and papers exhibited improved narrative structures, coherent thesis statements, and good connectors. After finals, I got a call from the dean asking if I would come back in the spring. He wanted me to teach two sections of the same class. I could not commit to that, so that was that. I returned two years later to teach a different humanities intro course and enjoyed it. I did each class once more over the next three years. Eventually we adopted a newborn and I just could not devote time to City College. But I really liked the experience. At my regular job, I listen to colleagues who disparage the transfer students we get from community colleges and just shake my head. My close colleagues know I taught a few classes at a community college, but I don't advertise it widely. Our administration does not like faculty and staff to "moonlight" at lesser schools.

by Anonymousreply 16August 14, 2020 2:05 AM

I share your experience R16 that the teacher student connection is fulfilling no matter the quality or prestige of the institution. I find it sad and bizarre your institution frowns on sharing profs with the "lesser thans" as you seem to put it. I am an ivy grad and prof at an important European university but I often teach in working-class venues and everybody is fine with that and my deans entourage it, and my colleagues do the same. My school also traded me with a teacher from Egypt and paid each of us my full salary - a windfall for the other prof.

by Anonymousreply 17August 14, 2020 2:23 AM

R16 thank you

by Anonymousreply 18August 14, 2020 2:34 AM

OP, who would admit to something as shameful and trashy as that here on DL?

by Anonymousreply 19August 14, 2020 2:35 AM

I'm an overachieving scholar, a polymath and a consummate hobbyist by nature, r5. I'm afraid if I told you how many degrees I currently hold, you wouldn't believe me. Even if I listed only the doctorates you'd think I was full of shit.

by Anonymousreply 20August 14, 2020 6:18 AM

I went to Community College for 3 1/2 years and had the best years of my academic life! They were doing Community Theater! It was so much fun and the best years of my academic life. I regret nothing.

by Anonymousreply 21August 14, 2020 6:33 AM

The community college nearby offers classes for adults just for learning. I took classes on meditation, Cooking, And writing a book.

Adult education is fun and fulfilling because It’s based on your interest and not graded

by Anonymousreply 22August 14, 2020 11:23 AM

It’s a delight

by Anonymousreply 23August 14, 2020 11:37 AM

Yes! I went to a couple different community colleges. At the first college, I got done some of my "101" classes and then transferred. The other one was to learn something (commercial art), not caring about a degree. There was a culinary school at one of the CCs, where they sold their baked products for reasonable prices.

Pres. Obama, I think, tried to make a platform promoting community colleges. I think he was passionate about it (as a way for more people to afford college), but it never got traction. Too bad.

I really don't know why more people don't use CCs to get their 101-type classes done. Especially older students (over 22, I mean), who are a little more financially realistic about life.

by Anonymousreply 24August 14, 2020 6:11 PM

A lot of them have online-only degrees and certifications so they're an affordable way for people already in the workforce to upgrade their skills and credentials if they're needed for a promotion or to get to a higher level in their organization. Especially with a lot of corporations offering to pay for education that would directly benefit the company. It's basically a free degree in cases like that.

by Anonymousreply 25August 14, 2020 7:02 PM

I would’ve hated taking online classes. I always got As & in a good many classes was bumped from a B+ to an A because of my sucking up to the teachers. Laugh at their jokes, engage with them, let them lock eyes with you when the rest of the class is zoned out; ask questions. Works well in person. Wouldn’t work in a zoom session.

Anyone here teaching via zoom? Can you see the students entire surroundings, eg, what their hands are doing? Are they texting their friends the whole time?

by Anonymousreply 26August 14, 2020 7:45 PM

I met some of the most interesting people and professors at CC. People with jobs, some life experience, interesting backstories. When I did transfer to a four-year, I couldn't help but feel that many of the students were very sheltered and hadn't experienced much beyond their dorm-life and the college itself.

by Anonymousreply 27August 15, 2020 1:05 AM

I did....some parts of it are terrible, but the teachers were as good as the ones at university.

by Anonymousreply 28August 15, 2020 1:07 AM

Yes, Brown.

by Anonymousreply 29August 15, 2020 1:07 AM

[quote] I met some of the most interesting people and professors at CC. People with jobs, some life experience, interesting backstories. When I did transfer to a four-year, I couldn't help but feel that many of the students were very sheltered and hadn't experienced much beyond their dorm-life and the college itself.

That makes sense, R27. Even just a couple of years working a job can make someone more interesting, IMO. During my 1st semester at a university, I took late afternoon classes (all the earlier classes were taken). There were a lot of interesting ppl in those late classes as well (compared to the early classes). Reason: it was working people leaving work maybe an hour early to take a class.

by Anonymousreply 30August 15, 2020 6:52 AM

I went to some top colleges which bragged about the award-winning professors who taught students. Honestly, the vast majority of my teachers were terrible. They knew how to do research and win Nobel Prizes but had no idea who to communicate to students.

by Anonymousreply 31August 15, 2020 1:17 PM

R20, are you James Franco?

by Anonymousreply 32August 15, 2020 1:48 PM

R32, I've gotten that comparison countless times in real life.

(His accolades are impressive for a non-intellectual. Having met James Franco before and been acquainted with him in the not-so-distant past, I dare say he's anti-intellectual.)

by Anonymousreply 33August 16, 2020 12:43 AM
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