Overview

What is a community college and why are more students turning to them? Who are some of the most famous community college graduates? Here you’ll find the answers to these questions and more.

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5 Tips for Pre-med Students Attending Community College

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5 Tips for Pre-med Students Attending Community College
College is expensive enough without the added cost of medical school on top of it. If you're on a pre-med track, consider taking some of your prerequisites at community college. Keep reading to learn more.

The base salary for a physician is around $190,000 with some specialties earning well over $500,000 per year. As much as doctors get paid, however, they accrue a lot of debt over the course of their education. The average yearly cost of medical school is over $200,000 and most doctors graduate with over $400,000 in student loans.

According to a 2010 study, roughly 40% of American undergraduate students attend community college but only 5% of students who enrolled in medical school in 2012 had attended community college. Because medical school is so expensive, it is worth it to consider taking premed classes at community college and then transferring to a four-year university to finish out the degree.

Keep reading to learn more about how medical schools view community college credits and to receive tips for premed students attending community college.

How Do Med Schools View Community College Credits?

Getting into medical school is no easy task. Not only do you have to complete a rigorous undergraduate degree, but you also have to find a way to stand out among thousands of applicants. Though it is important to position yourself well to stand out in the crowd, your primary concern as a premedical student should be to learn and understand the content of your premed classes. Taking some of these classes at community college can save you money so you’re able to focus on what really matters instead of worrying about how you’re going to pay your tuition.

Many people assume that colleges favor

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Switching Careers? Consider Going to Community College

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Switching Careers? Consider Going to Community College
Do you feel stuck in a career you don't enjoy? Are you considering making a switch? If so, keep reading to learn about community college for changing careers.

There comes a point in every person’s life where you just feel ready for a change. Perhaps you’ve been a stay-at-home parent for the past few years or maybe you’ve been working the same job since you graduated high school. No matter what your current situation, it is normal to wonder if there might be something better out there for you.

Unfortunately, suddenly picking up and changing your life isn’t as easy as you might like – especially if you are considering a career change. With the cost of college tuition rising steadily, more college graduates enter the workforce each year with limited work experience and low wage expectations. In many fields, it’s impossible to get a job unless you have a degree but, even so, that degree may not be worth much.

This video by Linda Raynier offers four tips for a successful career change.

So, what do you do if you want to change careers in the middle of your life and you don’t have the knowledge or experience to do it on your own? Consider going to community college. Many community colleges offer prerequisite classes that can prepare you to transfer to a traditional school if you have a particular career path in mind, or you can enter a vocational training program. Either way, choosing community college will save you some money and put you on the path to your new future. Keep reading to learn more.

Thinking of Changing Careers? You’re Not

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Overcoming the Stigma of Community College

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Overcoming the Stigma of Community College
There are a number of myths and misconceptions out there that lead people to believe that community college is somehow less valid than a four-year school. Keep reading to learn why this stigma against community college is unfounded.

Many people make comparisons between community colleges and “real” colleges, perpetuating the idea that a community college education is somehow less valid than one from a traditional four-year university. Community colleges have long been stigmatized but more and more students are taking to social media to proudly declare their support for this type of education. There will always be people who look down on community colleges and the students who attend them, but the truth is that the line between community college and “real” college is becoming more and more blurry.

Overview of Recent Posts on Social Media

Both community colleges and traditional four-year universities are a type of higher education, but many people make an unfavorable comparison between the two. Though there are many who think that a community college degree is somehow less valuable than one attained at a private college or state university, many community college students are proud of their educational choices. Here are some posts from social media in the spring of 2017 that show a trend toward greater support for community colleges and the students who attend them:

On June 3, Twitter user Alexis Isabel posted, “I hate seeing people be ashamed to be going to community college. College is college. I’m proud of everyone who is trying their best.”

On June 3, Twitter user @TKVSH posted, “Ya’ll shaming people for going to a community college instead of a university?? In this economy?????”

On June 1, Twitter user Brady Bates posted, “Why do people say ‘there’s nothing wrong

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Why Do Community Colleges Get a Bad Rap?

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Why Do Community Colleges Get a Bad Rap?
More and more, students are choosing to go to community college over traditional four-year universities but community colleges still have a bad reputation. Learn why in this informative article.
Choosing a college is a huge decision – one that will affect your career options for the rest of your life. Not only is selecting a college a life-changing decision, but it can be a very challenging decision to make simply because there are so many options. Between state colleges, private colleges, and community colleges, your options are nearly limitless but, for many people, community colleges aren’t even on the radar. Why is it that community colleges get such a bad rap and is a bad reputation deserved?    
 
In this video, Aspen Institute College Excellence Program Executive Director Josh Wyner discusses the benefits of community colleges, including how they are preparing a skills-ready workforce.
 
 
The Benefits of Community College    
 
Before getting into the reason behind the bad rap community college often receives, it would benefit you to learn some of the reasons why someone might choose a community college over a state or private institution. You will find a list of benefits associated with community colleges below:    
  • Lower Tuition Costs – The main benefit of attending community college over a state or private institution is reduced tuition costs. While a private college might charge $30,000 or more for a single year, community colleges might charge the same amount (or less) for four years of education. Not only are tuition costs lower at a community college, but the associated fees are lower as well.      
  • Off-Campus Housing – One of the major
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Is a Community College Bachelor’s Degree a Smart Choice?

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Is a Community College Bachelor’s Degree a Smart Choice?
In recent years, community colleges have been granted permission to offer four-year degrees. For some, this represents a great opportunity to get an education at an affordable price. But for others, worry with regard to the quality of these newly established programs is a point of concern.
The lure of an affordable college education brings countless thousands of students just like you to community college campuses each semester. With a greater breadth and depth of course offerings and degree programs available than ever before, community colleges represent excellent value for many students who seek to build their skills for future educational and career endeavors. Now, in addition to many associate’s degrees and professional certificate programs, community colleges throughout the country are offering select bachelor’s degree programs, furthering the appeal of the community college route. However, despite many advantages to these programs they are not for everyone.
 
Degree Programs Around the Nation
 
The movement to allow community colleges to offer four-year degrees is borne out of the needs of the modern workforce. Education and economic officials recognize that with major gaps in the workforce in the areas of healthcare, energy exploration, and information technology in particular, new workers need to be trained. Community colleges represent an excellent opportunity to train these workers because they are typically at the forefront of educational innovation and are much more able to respond to the changing needs of the workforce that is a four-year institution.
 
This new wave of educational opportunity is present in all corners of the country. More than a dozen community colleges in Washington State now offer baccalaureate degrees. More than two-dozen two-year institutions in Florida offer four-year degree options. Texas, Hawaii, and West Virginia community colleges have gotten on board with offering bachelor’s degree programs as well. In fact,
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