Mixed emotions are
received when Sacramento Area Community College students
respond to the question of friends and relatives,
"So what school are you going to?" When I told
my friends and relatives I was going to CRC, a local
community college several of them said "ohh" as
if to say, "ohh, I'm sorry you didn't make it."
Others, many who had done the whole 4 year university
education with post graduation debt said, "Wow,
that's smart, I wish I would have done that." The
reasons for attending a community college are quite
simple, community colleges provide a two year education
at a fraction of the cost. While thousands of students
from all over California are packing their bags for out
of town Universities thousands of Students, many who are
paying their own way, are staying home and cutting down
the cost of their education.
With increasing University costs Community colleges are
looking more and more appetizing to many graduating high
school students. As a high chool senior I was faced with
the decision to either go to the local CRC or to enroll
in Sac State or another California University. When I
ound out I could obtain the same education at a fraction
of the cost without leaving home I quickly enrolled into
fall classes at CRC. The classes were cheep and
scholastically competitive. Unlike many universities the
professors actually had a chance to learn your name and
are typically willing to help you out with your questions
and problems pertaining to the subject matter.
However the positive attractions were not without their
own drawbacks. The Social life at CRC and most local
ommunity colleges is limited. Most students, like myself,
come in for their classes and quickly leave for home,
work or other activities. If you have a social life away
from school however these things shouldn't get you down
and perhaps might be a positive influence on your ability
to focus on your education.
Los Rios Community College District in which CRC and ARC
are apart of is one of the top community college systems
in the state. Accreditation teams from the state visited
the Los Rios District in 2003 their praise was, "You
have a wonderful college with dedicated people at every
level. It's been a privilege to be at a college that
operates so successfully." The Los Rios District
Colleges help transfer over 2,500 students to UC and CSU
colleges every year and offers AA/AS degrees and
certificates in over 70 different career fields. With
such positive attributes these colleges typically enroll
over 80,000 students every semester.
Armed with this knowledge I was able to explain to my
disappointed friends and relatives that my career at CRC
wasn't a step in the wrong direction. I wasn't doomed for
failure. I wasn't going to be another college dropout. I
was simply saving money and taking advantage of the
inexpensive but still competitive education. The
inexpensive, competitive and promising education offered
just minutes from my home here in the Sacramento area.
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