Authors: V. Iyengar, G. Li, Silicon Valley Chapter

In our area, which is so obsessed with rankings and prestige, attending a community college after high school before transferring to a traditional four-year university is often an option that doesn’t receive much consideration. So, to gain some insights into this route, we interviewed a student who graduated from high school early and currently attends Las Positas College. 

What has your experience been like at Las Positas College?

My experience at Las Positas College has been pretty average so far; I’m mainly focused on attending classes and doing work. However, this coming semester, my goal is to attend clubs and make friends. Especially since it’s the first few weeks of school, I want to build my social life at Las Positas College. 

Why did you choose to attend this college instead of senior year of high school?

This path was always in the back of my mind, and I knew I wanted to pursue it, but I did doubt myself at first. It was going to be a huge change. But I knew that my school wasn’t the right environment for me and my learning, and I wanted to have access to the educational opportunities that were available at college but not at my high school. For people who are in a similar position as me, I do not advise staying in one place just because you feel like it would be challenging to move and explore other opportunities; I feel so much better being here and having independence in college, rather than being constricted to a life in high school that I didn’t like.

What are the benefits of going to Las Positas College instead of a four-year college institution?

One of the biggest benefits that comes with attending a community college instead of going straight to a 4-year college is the cost. At community college, I am saving tens of thousands of dollars on GenED classes that aren’t very important for my specific major. In addition, I’ve found that I’m able to get a better understanding of some of the concepts in my foundational classes, as the professors at community college are more interested in helping students one-on-one and have more time to do so. Additionally, after 1-2 years at community college, my college also provides much high quality career and academic counseling as well as many great pathways to transfer, especially if you go to a California community college, as long as you’re a student who is motivated and completes their work.

What are some resources at the college that you think are hard to find in other places?

At Las Positas College, there are so many advisors and professors that are keen on helping me and my peers with assignments and extra projects like research. My college offers honors classes for people who are interested; students have the opportunity to do things like being a part of a research project or writing a research paper, and your professor can be a key mentor in this process if the research is related to the class you are taking. I think this is really helpful for students that want additional educational opportunities. 

What are your professors like at community college?

My professors are definitely not what I expected when I first went into LPC. For one, I’ve found them to be incredibly dedicated to teaching and helping students both during class and office hours, and even in their free time. Several of my professors have offered to help their students with their research and also very willing to connect them with many high quality opportunities and advise them on extracurricular activities. Many of the professors that I have went to Stanford, UC Berkeley and UCLA and have very valuable connections in research and industry. Additionally, unlike at a traditional four-year university, the professors chief focus is not their research, but is instead their role as a teacher, which I’ve found to be very valuable and helpful in my academic journey.

Any advice for others going to community college?

If you are going to community college, I would suggest keeping an open mind when exploring your options and to also have a clear plan of what you want to do in college.