Finding the right college can be puzzling because there are so many options and not enough time to investigate all of them, but you can narrow it down by following a few steps. For starters, you have to consider your financial situation, schedule, work hours, etc. It would probably help if you write down all these things so that you can begin to see a clear picture.
In my case, for example, I was a parent of three kids in elementary school, working full time and also with the challenge of English as a second language. I felt that I needed to find a college that was flexible and offered me great flexibility. But, I was also nervous about starting a higher education program with English as a second language and not being familiar with the grading system so I didn’t know what to expect.
I’ve tried a couple of local community colleges and their advisors were not available for an appointment until a month later and that was not a good sign for me. Plus, I have heard that in community colleges, you have to find your own books and also make up your own schedule. Personally, I could not deal with anything like that; I needed a college where I could earn my degree in a fast an efficient manner.
Private college’s pros
· They tend to be smaller therefore they can offer personalized attention
· Some private colleges handle the schedule and order the books for you
· They offer schedule flexibility with a combination of campus and online classes
· You can graduate from a bachelors in less than four years
Private college cons
· They are more expensive than community colleges
· They are smaller and have less social events
Community colleges pros
· They are cheaper than private
· They have more degree options
· They have bigger campuses
Community colleges cons
· Advisers are too busy
· No personalized attention
· Schedule conflicts are common
· In some cases, you may be done with pre requisitions and will have to wait because the core program is overbooked.
Personally, I went with a private college and pulled my bachelors degree in three and half years. I have a great job and love what I do. I sincerely hope that you can craft a similar story.