The Benefits of a Community College

When ones' high school days come to a close, the question of "what to do with your life" follows right behind it. College can be wonderful experience, but a university might be too overwhelming to some. In the late 1980's, I was in the latter category, so fortunately I had a The College of Lake County (CLC is a community college in Grayslake, IL) to help me get my feet wet.

Applying to the college was fairly simple (application form and a transcript from my high school). Since I was completely "undecided" I started taking general education classes knowing I would need them anyway. This was a two-fold benefit; I would have to take these classes at ANY college I would attend or transfer to and I was getting exposed to a variety of subjects. I could learn the "college way" without spending a lot of money and I might come across a subject that I really liked. Eventually I did declare a major (Associate's of Arts in Business), which allowed me to transfer to a Eastern Illinois University (EIU) upon graduation in the spring of 1992.

The general education classes were an excellent way to adjust to the speed of college out of high school. I didn't have to take a full load of classes, though it took me a bit longer to finish, I could concentrate and become a college student. The college also limited the class size so I got more of an individual attention. I then discovered a hidden secret of community college - the professors. About halfway through the first semester I came to realize that many of these teachers taught because they loved to teach. When you love something, you tend to do a better job at it.

Even the social life was actually very helpful. I met a lot of people in similar situations (not knowing what to do with their life) and I got to play tennis of the CLC's team. This gave me an outlet for competition (which is often reduced once high school is over) and allowed me the chance to get to know some of my fellow students. Not only can you learn from your professors, you can learn from other students.

The community college track was a good choice for me and I'm glad I went that route. I didn't have any idea what I would do with my life and by taking a variety of classes at CLC gave me the opportunity to find out what I wanted to do and able to transfer on to a EIU upon graduation. As it turns out, I decided to share my experience with others, that's why I'm a teacher at a community college today.