Myths Busted
May 16, 2014
Chances are, if you live anywhere near Charlottesville, you’ve heard of Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC). But what have you heard? “Community college is for losers.” “There’s no campus life.” “The classes aren’t real college classes.” It’s time to put aside those stereotypes and see those.
Myth 1: “Community College has nothing to offer a student like me.”
Community College is a place that is a great option for anyone to pursue any path. It is not restricted to students with a 2.3 GPA or a 1200 SAT score. Community College benefits to any student.
Saving Money
Tuition prices are considerably cheaper when attending a community college. PVCC has a tuition rate of $133.65 per credit hour for the 2014 summer semester. To compare that, James Madison University asked for $410 per credit hour this year.
That’s a savings of over $250 per credit hour.
“It’s so much more inexpensive to receive a quality education that is recognized across the state,” PVCC First Year Programs Counselor Jan Reed said.
Transitioning
Adulthood is a scary thing, and not everyone is ready for it after high school graduation. Some people simply aren’t legally an adult or mature enough to go into a major university and act responsibly on their own. Some people need a transitional period. Community college provides this.
“Some students admit that they’re not ready for college yet,” Reed said. “If you go to a four year school and don’t like what you’re doing, it’s costing you an arm and a leg.”
Community college provides a good middle ground for students to cultivate successful habits, mature into adults, and figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives.
College Acceptance
Community College is a great way to earn acceptance into a university you might not have gotten into right out of high school.
“Through system-wide agreements, students who graduate from one of Virginia’s 23 community colleges with an associate’s degree and a minimum grade point average may obtain GUARANTEED admission to more than 20 of the commonwealth’s colleges and universities,” according to the Virginia Community College System’s website (vccs.edu).
“Colleges all around the state accept you, no questions asked, as long as you perform well here,” Reed said.
So, if you hold a grudge against your favorite university because you didn’t make the cut, there could still be time for you to attend that institution, through community college.
Myth 2: “Community College is more like the 13th grade! Boring!!!”
While community college may not fulfill your inner desire for Project X frat parties and House Bunny Sororities, there is still much social life to be had.
“We have over 49 clubs and organizations, there is a social life. If you go to our website there is a list of all our activities. We have many strong clubs, intramurals, and student associations. We certainly do not resemble the 13th grade,” said Reed.
Clubs cover interests from art, computer science, game development, outdoors and investments. Intramural sports including basketball, soccer, tennis, golf and volleyball are also available. There is even a Brony club.
Myth 3: “The classes are dumbed down.”
“Quite to the contrary,” Reed said. “In order to enroll in any college level, transferable course, a student needs to test into college level English and math. Four year institutions, including UVA and William & Mary, will accept PVCC transferrable courses with grades of C or better as equivalent to their own courses. D/F grades do not transfer, of course. “
Community College classes have to be held to a certain standard, because they are recognized and accepted by colleges throughout the state.
Myth 4: “Community College is for people who don’t know what they want to do with their lives.”
While PVCC does have a great many students who are not sure what their next step is, this does not represent a disadvantage.
“I would say honestly about 50% of students who come from high school are still undecided. But that’s the beauty of a community college because you can take your core classes while undecided, and still explore your options. We’re here to get you ready for wherever you want to be,” PVCC First Year Programs Counselor Jan Reed said.
So if you’re feeling stress about making a decision that might impact your entire life, maybe take a breather and look into community college.