As its name suggests, a community college is a higher education institution mainly meant to attend to its community. Historically, junior colleges are what community colleges were called. They offer two-year associate degree programs.
On the other hand, high school is the institution you attend before joining a community college or a traditional university. Therefore, one would ask, is community college easier than high school?
To get a clear answer to this question and find out more, kindly read through this article.
Is Community College Easier Than High School?
Community college is easier than high school. This is because you get to choose a course that you love to study when in community college, you have a flexible time schedule and you get to socialize more in college.
In high school, students spend many hours tackling assignments and attending classes that they might not be interested in, with little time for social and extracurricular activities. This is, however, not the case in community colleges.
First, in a community college, you get a chance to select the course that you want to pursue.
Unlike in high school where you have to study all the subjects in the curriculum, in a community college, you learn what interests you. Therefore, it becomes enjoyable when you study what you love.
Secondly, in a community college, you can create a schedule that is spread out and flexible.
Professors typically provide you with the course outline at the beginning of the semester that stipulates the class hours, assignments, and exam dates.
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You can effectively schedule time for your hobbies and passions, socializing, or even work with such an outline.
Lastly, in a community college, the number of resources available to you is way more than those you can access in a high school.
For example, you can have exclusive access to a library, swimming pool, different games, gym, and coffee shops.
All the above points indicate that life in a community college is easier than high school tenure.
Is Community College Harder Than High school?
Community college is not harder than high school. On the contrary, if you are the focused student responsible enough to balance your academics and other activities, your life in a community college will be easier than in high school.
The tenure in a community college can be pretty challenging.
Unlike in high school, you will attend some lectures with hundreds of other students, teach yourself some concepts, encounter more complicated topics, and you will find learning more fast-paced.
In addition, in community college, you are expected to think more maturely and express yourself better than you did in high school.
There is much freedom and free time available in a community college which might be challenging to handle.
However, with significant challenges lies immense potential. You won’t encounter these challenges in high school.
Instead, if you are a wise student, you will take advantage of these challenges and better yourself academically, physically, socially, and even financially.
Advantages of Going to College After High School
Enrolling in a college after completing high school is a great decision. In particular, if you have academic or financial issues which deter you from enrolling in a university, a college is a great place to start.
Below are the benefits you could accrue when you go to a college after high school.
- Career benefits
Since colleges concentrate more on hands-on training, students earn credentials that are suitable for many career fields.
That said, getting an entry-level job with an associate degree from college is way easier than when you have a high school diploma.
- Enrolling in a college is more affordable
The tuition fee paid at colleges is way lower than that spent in public or private universities.
Therefore, if you wish to study for a bachelor’s degree after high school, you could first enroll in a college, learn the core classes, and proceed to the university.
This strategy is as effective but cheaper.
- Comfortable admission policies
The qualifications that colleges require for you to enroll with them are minimal.
This allows an opportunity for high school graduates who did not attain the pass mark to join the traditional universities.
Therefore, you can join a college and proceed to enroll in a university after completing the two years.
How is Community College Different from High School?
A community college is different from a high school in several ways. First, the most significant difference between the two is that attending high school is mandatory, while enrolling at a community college is optional. Second, those that enroll in a community college are those that want to further their studies.
Secondly, in a high school, you will most likely find students from the same area whose age is chronologically similar to their level of study.
However, in a community college, you find diverse students in terms of ages and places of origin.
In a community college, you will find more mature students who are independent and accountable and schedule their classes and free time.
However, in high school, students are not independent and are assisted by their parents and teachers to schedule.
Lastly, the credentials achieved from a community college are different from that of high school.
After their tenure in community college, students get an associate degree, while students get a high school diploma in high school.
Are Classes in Community College Easier?
Classes in community college are easier. Unlike in high school, where the classes you attend are general, classes in community college are specific to the course of your choice. Therefore, such classes are enjoyable because you are studying concepts that you have an interest in.
Community college classes have a relatively small size of an average of 20 to 40 students. However, unlike the university lectures, such classes are usually engaging because they consist of group work, discussions, and cooperative projects.
The other reason why community college classes are easier is that students can attend them online. In particular, students can attend theoretical classes in the comfort of their homes through a computer.
Lastly, college classes are easier because they don’t consume much of a student’s time. Unlike high school classes which can take up to 40 hours a week, community college classes take about 15 hours a week.
This gives the students ample time to engage in extra activities comfortably.
Reasons Why Community College is Better Than High School
Below is a list of reasons why community college is better than high school.
- There is much more freedom in community college than in high school. In community college, you have the freedom to choose where you live, the classes to take, where to eat, what to wear, and much more choices. You cannot find such freedom in high school.
- Unlike in high school, where most of the students come from the same area, in college, students are more diverse in terms of their abilities and interests. It is, therefore, easier to find real friends in college, friends who share your interests and hobbies.
Conclusion
So, is community college easier than high school? Depending on their experiences in both institutions, some people will answer yes while others will respond with a big no.
However, after reading this article, you would probably agree that community college is easier than high school.