You Have Options: Junior College Is One of Them!

I am going to say this right from the get-go, I did NOT go to Junior College myself, I do know people personally who have gone, and who are currently going.

There is a stigma that is attached to JC's, people assume it is a thrift-store education compared to four-year state and private colleges.  

Others view JC's as a school that students HAVE to go to, because who would ever want to go to a JC rather than a four-year university, right?

This specific post will attempt to debunk the negative aspects that are associated with attending a JC.
Let's say you are not the strongest student.  College is something you thought you would never be a part of, and you thought about how you can turn your diploma into a job, and hopefully a career.

There are people in my life who have had this issue, and had no clue what their next step beyond high school was going to be.  With the uncertainty comes a sense of hopelessness and loss that leaves students confused and scared.

Here is the little-utilized option:  GO TO A JUNIOR COLLEGE!

There are a variety of benefits in attending a Junior College:

• It is cheaper than the traditional four-year university
• it is easier to get into Junior Colleges
• Once you finish at the Junior College, you can transfer into the four-year universities

Generally, most Junior Colleges or Community Colleges accept students who have a high school diploma or equivalent.  These type of schools also do not require the stellar Grade Point Average that private colleges or other four-year universities require.

A good friend of mine, Ted, shared with me their experience with attending a Junior College.  He indicated that he was not the greatest high school student and was unmotivated.  The lack of motivation was probably because he was not sure about what he wanted to do after high school yet, and did not want to think about it either.

With the option of Junior College, came opportunity to my friend Ted.  He was accepted into a local Junior College in the bay area, and excelled as a Junior College student completing is Associates Degree in two years (which is the average time it takes).

With his much improved GPA from Junior College, he was able to apply to Universities he thought he had no shot getting into as a high school student.  He was accepted to, and attends now San Francisco State University.

Moral of the story?

Just because high school was no the greatest experience of your life, do not give up on higher education.  It is possible for you to go, put yourself out there and take the steps you need to take!  If you were not the greatest student, go to a Junior College.  It is cheaper for your first two years there than at any university in their first two years.  It is a game changer for the uncertain student!

Check out this video!  It is an over view on how to transfer from a Junior College to a Four-Year University!