Students who attend community college before a university are better prepared for a successful future. The big misconception about community colleges is that you only go to one if you aren’t smart enough to get into a university or if you’re too broke to afford it. While it may be true for some, spending less on a higher education as you figure out the world independently is the smarter choice. Moving from the nurturing guidance of high school, straight to the more expensive coddling of a university is the comfortable option meant for people who aren’t ready to make solo decisions.

I attended California State University Monterey Bay last year as a first-year college student, straight out of high school. My entire life was school: my social circle was limited to dorm mates and classroom peers. I ate every meal at the dining hall or campus restaurants, where I was greeted by the same faces each day, and I had class early in the mornings until sometimes 10 p.m., five days a week. The routine is nice when you want to focus on class because it’s harder to get distracted if every day looks the same. I had many reasons to leave CSUMB after two semesters, but it took moving back home and attending Cuesta College for me to realize how claustrophobic I felt. I was living within feet of two girls who started as strangers and became enemies despite our “honeymoon” friendship months. I was paying for classes and sitting through dreadful lectures I didn’t care about because they were required for my degree. My mental and physical health were declining significantly because I simply didn’t have energy to spare for myself. 

But that’s not what life is like when you step away and have to choose what to make of each day. Why is going into debt and taking loans at 18 that you’ll be paying off for the rest of your life to afford tuition, dining plans, housing and books considered the “norm?” A 2022 study from the National Center for Educational Statistics says roughly 45 percent of students who completed high school attended 4-year universities right after graduating, and 17 percent attended 2-year institutions. That is roughly 62 percent of high school graduates in 2022.

Now, at the end of my second semester, as a full-time student at Cuesta, I think I can fairly compare the two college experiences. The difference that matters to me is the freedom to take them online or whenever I want, and I’m not paying hundreds of dollars for the class or books. 

My professors are still highly educated professionals and comparably much more engaging with students. I never felt that my professors cared about my success in their class last year, but my professors at Cuesta have all made efforts to help me feel as confident as possible in their classes. The professors at universities are being stretched thin, always under pressure to be perfect, the same way the students are, and it squeezes the passion from their souls in order to preserve their careers. I’m not saying professors at community colleges are indifferent to their careers, but I do think they have more freedom to teach their way. Learning from people who embrace imperfection and encourage confidence has inspired me much more than any curriculum slave did.

Universities have competitive class enrollment – the best classes and class times fill up fast and many students are left with inconvenient schedules, or they have to wait until their next term to take a class they need. This system controls students’ lives, especially in the first year, when fewer students have reliable transportation that can accommodate a tight schedule. 

A large percentage of community college students choose part-time enrollment because they are balancing jobs and other commitments outside of class. These people are most likely responsible for providing for themselves and may have taken this path because they don’t have financial support from their families. Limiting their freedom to go wherever they’d like, but arguably better preparing them for life later.

There tends to be an effort barrier between some students at community college versus those enrolled at university, or at least a different type of motivation to do well, but not in the way many think. Community college students are typically living away from campus and are completely in charge of their own transportation to get to class. But universities don’t teach students to rely on themselves like that. The university system relies on students doing as they are told, and when you’re actually living and working on campus, that system really affects your ability to be independent later. While some may argue that a typical four-year school is skillfully more challenging based on workload or class styles, attending a community college on your own account takes a different level of responsibility. 

Public Policy Institute of California states, “Research has found that students who work while in college may struggle to keep up in class—especially those who work more than 15 hours per week – research has found that while students can benefit from working during college, work may also disrupt their studies.” As a student who works typically over 15 hours a week, I agree that balancing school and work is sometimes difficult. But having the two completely separate responsibilities has taught me a lot about how to manage my time. I also feel less stressed about school when I work more because I’m challenging myself in different ways.