Is a Community College Right for You?

There are some cases in which four-year residential colleges aren't the best choice for everyone. Here are some reasons why community college is sometimes the better option. Before making a final decision, make sure that you are aware of the possible hidden costs of community college.

Money
Community college costs just a fraction of the total price tag for public or private four-year residential colleges. If you’re short on cash and don’t have the test scores to receive a merit scholarship, community college can save you thousands of dollars. But don’t make your decision based entirely on money, many four-year colleges offer excellent financial aid for those with serious need. If is best to see financial aid exists before writing the possibility of a four-year college completely.

Weak Grades or Test Scores
If you don’t have the GPA or test scores to get into a decent four-year college don’t stress. Community colleges are open-admissions and you can use community college grades to build your academic skills and prove that you can be a serious student. If you then transfer to a four-year school, the transfer admissions office will consider your college grades much more than your high school record.

Work or Family Obligations
Most community colleges have flexibility and offer weekend and evening courses so you can take classes while juggling other obligations in your life. Four-year colleges rarely offer this type of flexibility--classes meet throughout the day and college needs to be your full-time employment and commitment.

Your Career Choice Doesn’t Require a Bachelor’s Degree
Community colleges offer many certification and associate degree programs that you won’t find at four-year schools. Many technology and service careers do not require a four-year degree and the type of specialized training you need is available to you only at a community college.

You’re Unsure About Going to College

A lot of high school students have a sense that they should go to college, but they aren’t sure why and aren’t really interested in attending school. If this describes you, community college can be a good alternative option. You can try out some college-level courses without committing years of your life and tens of thousands of dollars to see if it is the right path for you.

Test Taking Strategies

Examinations are a fact of life in college. When you take a test, you are demonstrating your ability to understand course material. Here are some tips to help you develop great test taking skills.

Take a Note from the Past. Always try to analyze how you did on a similar type of test in the past, i.e. multiple choice, and as well try to review previous tests and sample tests provided by your teacher. Each test that you take can help you to prepare for the next one!

Be Prepared. Always try to arrive early for tests—this will give you time to do a last minute review of your notes, and to take a deep breath and relax before you have to write the test. Make a list and prepare what you need, i.e. pens, pencils, calculator, beforehand to avoid last minute panic.

Be comfortable but alert. Choose a comfortable location with enough space for your needs—if you require additional space, try choosing a seat at the back or on the end of a row as opposed to right in the middle of the class or area. Try not to slouch; maintain good posture and stay relaxed and confident.

Relax. Keep a good attitude and remind yourself that you are going to do your best. If you find yourself panicking, take a few deep breaths. Try not to talk to other students right before writing--stress can be contagious!

Avoid Careless Errors. Read the directions carefully, and if there is time, quickly look through the test for an overview. Previewing the test allows you to see how much time you need to allot for each section--if the test is all multiple choice questions, it is good to know that immediately. When answering essay questions, try to make an outline in the margin before you begin writing. Organization, clear thinking, and good writing is important, but so is neatness, so be sure to make your writing legible. Answer questions in a strategic order--easy questions first to build confidence, then those with the most point value. Allow yourself extra time for the more difficult parts, like essay questions if this is your area of weakness.

Review! If you have time, review your answers and ensure that you haven’t missed any questions. Resist the urge to leave when you complete the exam—a second review gives you a chance to change answers to questions if you made an error or misread the question.

How to Study Mathematics

Buy used textbooks. Sometimes we don't understand a concept because the explanation is just plain bad or it's not written in a way that we can understand. It's good to have a text that gives alternate explanations and additional sample problems to work out. Many used book stores will have inexpensive texts. Just double check to make sure that the explanations and answers from the previous owner are correct!

Study actively. Don't just work out a problem, draw pictures and diagrams of a process and make up stories to go along with them. If you are an auditory learner, you may want to make brief recordings of yourself defining some terms or processes.

Read actively. Use sticky notes or flags to mark important things in your chapter or things you need to ask about in class. If you have a sample problem that you've worked out and you'd like to have similar problems for additional practice, mark it with a flag and ask the teacher next time you are in class.

Use college prep study guides. If you can't find an old textbook to use in addition to your class text, try using an SAT, ACT, or CLEP study guides. They often provide great explanations and sample problems. You can also find free online study guides for these tests.

Take breaks. If you come across a problem that you don't understand, read it over a few times and give it a try—but then walk away from it and make a sandwich or do something else. Your brain will continue to work on the problem subconsciously.

Review old tests. Old tests are the best clues to future tests. They are good for establishing a strong foundation for the newer information, but they also provide insight as to how the teacher thinks.

Practice neatness. How unfortunate would it be to miss a test question out of sloppiness? It's important to make sure you can line up problems neatly so you don't confuse yourself, and also to make sure you can tell your sevens from your ones.

Find a study partner. A study partner can test you and help you understand things you can't get on your own.

Understand the process. You sometimes hear that it doesn't matter how you come up with the right answer, just as long as you get there. But, this is not always true. You should always strive to understand an equation or a process.