Community Colleges
Community Colleges in America are publically funded institutions of higher learning that offer 2 year courses. Graduates from Community College can transfer to bachelor courses in Universities as well as other types of course. Community Colleges thus serve an important role in the American education system as a means of helping students from less well-off backgrounds achieve academic qualifications, and thus a chance at a good career. Community Colleges in America have also been at the center of adult education, helping many people to gain first-time higher qualifications, as well as to help people change career.
Community Colleges were called ‘Junior Colleges’ as they prepared students for their senior years at 4 year university courses. In some places in the USA they are called ‘City Colleges’.
The Community College system developed in the late part of the Nineteenth Century. Originally they were institutions offering 2 year courses to people who wanted to be teachers. It was later that matriculation from a ‘junior college’ was allowed as an entrance requirement for 4 year courses at universities. This was seen as an important development at the time as it gave a wider group of people access to higher education.
In the 1920s and 1930s the emphasis of Junior Colleges changed in response to the Great Depression. It was felt at the time that more educational opportunities were needed to be made available to make the work force more skilled and better prepared to meet the challenges of the Twentieth Century, and to haul the country out of depression.
In the 1960s the network of Junior Colleges exploded to 457. This was due to the increased demand for higher education created by the baby boomers generation.
In the 1970s enrollment numbers went up as many young people looked to escape the draft for the Vietnam War. During this era Junior Colleges changed their names to Community Colleges.
In the 1980s many Community Colleges broke away from their high school affiliations and built up their own faculties and campuses. By the late 1980s over 50% of freshmen enrolled in 2 year courses. This period saw the legitimization of the 2 year mechanism to access higher education programs in other institutions of learning. At this time, Community Colleges started offering vocational and other types of courses.
In the Twenty-first Century the debate rages whether City Colleges help to make society more equal or whether they unwittingly make the distinction between the privileged elite and everyone else more acute. Also the issue of public funding for Community Colleges is a hot debate in the USA.
Despite their critics, Community Colleges have been an important stepping stone for the advancement of many people’s employment career. They are regarded by many as being at the heart of the community, and no doubt they will continue to change and adopt as society itself changes.
The articles presented on www.communitycollegecentral.org should be regarded as a resource for a diverse range of topics. It is a virtual center for excellence in prose and communication. The articles seek to promote debate and to suggest further areas of fruitful research. We believe the new frontier of education is the World Wide Web. It is the largest library ever amassed in the history of mankind. In its humble way www.communitycollegecentral.org seeks to add to the growing wealth of information to be found on the internet. This is part of our mission to bring education to the people regardless of social or ethnic background.
In a down economy, will there be enough jobs for those graduating from community college? The outlook is pretty grim as companies are trying to reduce staff and cut costs in many ways possible and this looks like a trend that will continue for quite a while. With that being said, many fresh graduates are looking to start their own business’s as asset prices across industries are plummeting. Which is perfect for a start up trying to gain a foothold while reducing costs.
There is no doubt that the internet has really gone a long way. I know that for a fact since I am a blogger. Now, it has become one of the most useful tools in various aspects of man’s life. Whether it is in the field of communication, information, entertainment or business and commerce, the fact that the internet is of great help to man still stands.
And if you are a fresh graduate (and I assume you are since you are reading this blog entry), let me give you an advice: build an online presence and offer something of value to your visitors. The internet while growing at an unprecedented pace is still at its infancy and there is much room for ambitious entrepreneurs looking to setup an online business.
The fact is, internet marketing is among the many helpful applications of the internet in the field of commerce and business. This can be seen in the growth of seo and internet marketing agencies across the globe. Basically, an seo consultancy, as its name suggests, markets or sells your business, products and services through the internet through marketing campaigns. One of which is the use of social media. This process is then called as social media marketing. This is then where internet marketing companies come in. They link your business to social media and social networking sites. This way, you will have more and better exposure to your potential customers. Perhaps you already know about the power and influence of social media and social networking sites in today’s world. A lot of people are getting into these sites; and the circle just keeps on growing. In fact, these websites hold a large pool of potential clientele. Thus, if you are able to tap into this pool of consumers, you will have a better chance of boosting your sales and profits. And you can do this knowing that you have secured an online presence so that your business will more likely than not, be a sustainable business that you are in complete control of.
I met a guy from the States who I became quite friendly with at Uni and we spoke a lot about the comparative merits and failures of our educational systems. I have, like many others , seen a great deal of American TV and they talk about college and grade point averages, things that we hear but do not understand. So he put me onto a site that gives people like me the low down on their system and made it easier for me to understand he differences.
I don’t pretend to be an expert on the subject but I think I could hold my own in conversation now. So I asked him to drop by my flat for a beer and I would set him on the path to understanding the offside rule in the true game of Rugby. Horror, I managed to spill my curry all over the carpet, and it was stinking the place out.
In came my American pal and he was all sort of ‘bummer’ and ‘you’re over man’ really big help. But I got out the laptop and found carpet cleaning Glasgow who would fix this in jig time. If the landlord saw this I was out on my ear. So while we’re waiting for the arrival of the carpet angels we get back to talking about college in the states, and especially community colleges.
Once again he referred me to the site to answer my questions and told me that when he was at community college his grades were so good that he was a shoe in for a full university place in the States, but that the ones he really wanted to get into held some kind of prejudice against community collegiate and so he came here to get away from the elitism within their system.
I told him it was the same here and he laughed, try getting into Harvard or Yale from a community college, same here I replied try getting into Oxford or Cambridge from Drumchapel Secondary I said.
I graduated high school with a 3.96 GPA. Pretty much through my entire school career, I was on the “college prepatory” track which meant I was destined for a 4-year university. So that’s where I went.
I put my time in at my state’s university and graduated with a BA in Communication. What do you do with a degree like that? Well, I’m still trying to figure that out but when I first graduated, it was quite a struggle. I had more of a liberal arts degree and not a tangible skill set. Finding a job wasn’t too hard but the first job I had out of college was all wrong for me; I hated it. I became frustrated while trying to find another job and decided that I was going to go in a different direction. I was going to attend a community college to become a radiologic technician.
Since the only science I had taken in my undergraduate curriculum was oceanography because someone told me it was easy, I had to get a bunch of core requirements out of the way before I could start the 2-year radiologic degree program. Hello, Anatomy & Physiology I and II (with labs)! I went to every class, took detailed notes, studied hard and got an A in both of those classes. I met a lot of nice people at the community college and the instructor I had for A & P was awesome. It was a great experience.
But somewhere in between memorizing all of the bones in the body and trying to come to terms with the fact that I would have to live with my parents while I was back in school, I decided that healthcare was not the field for me. Boy, was that a wise decision! I realized that I had a real passion for marketing and I am now happily part of the marketing department at a large merchant account company.
I definitely changed my mind quite a few times about what career path I wanted to be on, but I blame that on the confusing time of my life that I like to call my 20s.
Most everyone agrees that if you want to give yourself the best chance of getting a good job, a college degree is a must. The problem in 2012 though, is how to pay for those four years without putting yourself too far behind in the debt department? College age kids today have a real dilemma!
One way to reduce costs is to go to a community college for the first two years and then transfer to a bigger name college for the final two. In this case, a student’s final degree would be from the big name college and no one will ever know they didn’t go there the whole time! Yet they will have saved a ton of money because those first two years will be at a school that costs significantly less.
Community colleges sometimes get a bad name because people think that they are for students that can’t get into “real” colleges. But this isn’t true in an economy where many very smart students are opting for community colleges to save money. After all, is it really worth going in debt $50,000 or more for a degree in Communications, English, or something else? By limiting their costs for the first two years, many students are doing the financially smart thing.
Jobs for college students and college graduates aren’t available in the numbers they once were. This makes getting a pricey degree a risk rather than “must” in many cases. Students are scrambling for alternatives in financing and anything else they can come up with to find a way to get a higher education. Luckily, community colleges are there to help out for some of them who can’t afford the full price of four years at a major university.
I find the school system in the USA very interesting. This is the first time I have heard of Community Colleges, public schools and universities yes, but not Community Colleges. Here in the UK we have different schools, and these generally depend on the political history of the county or local area. Some counties have grammar schools, entry to which is dependent on passing an examination. Those who fail or who don’t take the exam go to other state schools. Or, if the parents can afford it, their children attend public schools – these are fee paying and not at all like the public schools in the USA.
Once in college hard work is essential. It helps of course if the course is interesting. My favourite subject at school was history. We studied the medieval period when knights went into battle attired in suits of armour. I had a big picture on my wall of a knight in armour with his shield decorated with a coat of arms. The weight of carrying all that armour, the shield, and his weapons must have taken a lot of his strength and not left much over to actually fight!
Whichever system you attend: a Community College or university; work hard. The effort you devote to your studies then will pay dividends later in life.
Students should learn as early as possible the power that compound interest growth can have on current or future savings. Students can use free tools such as the InterestBot to visualize this growth.
Accessing an Interest Calculator is the first thing that you should do if you have an interest in saving more money in the upcoming year. There are many people that would like to put more money away in order to build a future. If you are one of these people, it is important that you take the right approach. Do not make the mistake of thinking the only way to save would be to take additional money out of your paycheck. In fact, it is possible for you to put away more money while limiting what comes out of your paycheck. When you take the right approach, you would get a much better return on your investment. This calculator is simple to use and effective for helping you get all of your finances in order.
Using an interest calculator is a lot easier than you think. It would allow you to make sure that you are getting a great value for any money that you would like to invest for any reason. If this sounds like something you are interested in, it would be a good idea to start entering your information as quickly as possible. When the new year starts, people have a renewed interest in making the correct financial moves. If you are one of these people, you should not be worried about making a mistake. Instead, you want to look at the savings accounts you have at the moment and switch to others that offer higher rates.
When student is debt-laden with student loans, it adds significant stress in addition to the academic rigors of being a student. Students can reduce this stress and understand their loan payments by using the PaymentBot.
A loan payment calculator is the only tool you will need to determine the estimate of what your monthly loan payment will be. The type of information that is required to make the necessary calculations is dependent on the website’s loan calculator. A less sophisticated loan calculator may require a certain degree of math proficiency from the user. However, in established sites like PaymentBot, the interest rate and other pertinent information may be pre-filled by the said site.
A well-organized loan assistance site and a working loan calculator helps the borrower to save precious time because he or she need not search for the necessary information needed to perform accurate calculations. It is however important to realize that a loan calculator is simply a tool and the information provided through its usage must be considered as estimates. Thus, the exact monthly payment should not be considered final until the borrower is able to receive documents with regards to the details of the loan. Learn more on how to compute interest rates by visiting sites like PaymentBot.
It is prudent not to make assumptions. If the borrower will use the lender’s website it is imperative to remember that the actions undertaken in that site does not guarantee a loan or specific loan terms. Borrowers must be aware that there are lenders who will offer different interest rates because they base their calculations on the borrower’s creditworthiness. Learn more on how to devise effective payment strategies by studying topics discussed in sites like PaymentBot.
Borrowers who unfortunately have a few blemishes on their credit report should expect a higher interest rate and not the low interest rate advertised by the lender. In most cases the lower interest rate is the one that was pre-filled into the online loan calculator. In order to determine if the lender offers different interest rates to applicants, then, look for the link on their website that discusses lender’s interest loans. Knowledge about these things can help prevent the unwelcome surprise generated by false assumptions. Learn more and visit sites like PaymentBot.
The key to getting succesful grades at college is by working hard but not over doing things. Some people study as well as hold down jobs and covering shifts for overtime can often lead to burn out which is why it is recommended that you make sure rest and relaxation are as much a part of your routine as work and study.
Quite a lot is also made about getting the correct work space for studying at home but as much effort and care should be placed in selecting a bed and sofa to ensure your rest is optimal. There are some incredible options that combine the two like a leather corner sofa bed that can give you the best of both worlds.
You will always have to work hard for what you want in life but learning the right balance can be the difference between success and failure. Many people have bitten off more than they can chew and gone on to pay the price for it so figuring out exactly what you are capable of and sticking to it is key. Quite often you can feel pressured in certain jobs to cover shifts but realising that they do not have your best interests at heart and just want a shift covered can help you in the long run.
Check out this new GPA calculator that lets you easily calculate your GPA on both the 4.0 and 5.0 scales.
Academic success is about passing classes to get something in return whether it is a diploma, degree or certificate. Take the following tips to heart and make the grade.
Some people can study in groups; others study alone. Try both ways and see which one helps you get the most studying done and the best grades.
Work classes around your schedule. In college we have the luxury of choosing our classes. Do not take a class at a time where you are not mentally available. Morning people should stick to morning and afternoon classes. Night owls should stick to afternoon and evening classes.
Reading something over and over may not stick in some students’ minds. Use an audiobook or tape related to the book and listen to it.
Set goals for yourself. Along with using a GPA calculator an academic goal will encourage you to try as hard as you can. Sometimes the goals do not have to be about grades; take a course you avoided taking, join an extracurricular activity or get a job while going to school.
Notes are the backbone of classes. Written notes will be the answers to upcoming quizzes and tests. Studying your notes is one thing; take it a step further and rewrite them by hand. This method helps you retain those notes in your memory and helps you to sort it out in your brain.
Lots of people procrastinate, but it is not a good idea. Do not let social networks, family, friends and other distractions force you to scramble at the last minute with the possibility of botched jobs and poor results using the GPA calculator. Save yourself the stress of procrastination and study early.
People spend so much time studying that there is no time for anything else. Some people enjoy life too much. Balance work and play. This gives the brain time to absorb everything you learned. Play sports, paint, keep a journal, watch television—keep those creative juices flowing.
We all know how preparing for an exam is stressing. Trying to remember which topics you need to read for your next exam after holiday might be tricky especially if you spend the holiday away from home. The best thing is that the iPhone can help you in your studies and even better prepare you for your next exam. Here are some great Free iPhone apps that you need to download to be in a better position while preparing for your exams.
First of all, I found iStudies a very important app when it comes to planning your studies. iStudies isn’t expensive and can allow you to get your mind back to school especially if you are straight from holiday. With iStudies, you are able to retrace your classmates contacts and timetables as well as when your next exam is coming up.
iFormulas must also be a very helpful app when preparing for your exams. This app keeps you updated with the formulas that you need for solving any math problem. When preparing for your exam, you will need to write down a couple of formulas or better store them in your brain. This app offers you a quick reference to any formula you need in mathematics.
The chemical touch just like the iFormula will help you memorize your periodic table when preparing for your chemistry paper. You can easily refer to the digital periodic table which is clear as your traditional periodic table. Here you find all the information you need for all elements including but not limited to their boiling points, masses and densities.
Finally, the ultimate iPhone app that you need to use when preparing for your exams is Cram. Not only does cram allow you to save your most important study sessions, but also allows you to create simple tests that will prepare your mind before the real exam.
For some, the consideration of personal finance never comes to mind. For those that do consider it, some will lack the knowledge to know where to start. This article will outline some of the most solid tips and advice available regarding personal finance options. Utilizing them could mean the security of your financial future. If you see something on your credit report that is inaccurate, immediately write a letter to the credit bureau. Writing a letter forces the bureau to investigate your claim. The agency who put the negative item on your report must respond within thirty days. If the item is truly incorrect, writing a letter is often the easiest way to have it removed. Create a budget – and stick to it. Make a note of your spending habits over the course of a month. Track where every penny goes so you can figure out where you need to cut back. Once your budget is set for the month, if you find you spend less than planned, use the Bedste solceller.
Lower your total monthly grocery bills by nixing the habit of shopping for meals every day, after you leave work or school. This approach makes you more susceptible to costly impulse purchases and fast food runs. Instead, plan your grocery purchases for an entire week at a time. Save even more money by shopping only once every other week. “A saved money is an earned money” is a good saying to keep in mind when thinking of personal finance. Any amount of money saved will add up after consistent saving over a few months or a year. A good way is to determine how much one can spare in their budget and save that amount. Avoid using the mall to meet your entertainment needs. This often leads to spending money you don’t have and charging things that you don’t really need. Try to shop only when you have a specific item to buy and a specific amount to spend. This will help you to stay on budget.
Think about starting your own business if you have free time on your hands. You would benefit from interesting tax rebates and perhaps make a good profit once your business is established. Look for an activity that corresponds to your skills and interests and find out more about setting up a business. Talking to a business professor or other teacher who specializes in money or some financial aspect can give one helpful advice and insight into one’s personal finances. This casual conversation can also be more relaxed for one to learn in than a classroom and is more personable than looking on the internet. Take a snapshot of your spending habits. Keep a journal of absolutely everything that you purchase for at least a month. Every dime must be accounted for in the journal in order to be able to truly see where your money is going. After the month is over, review and see where changes can be made. Personal financing is an important aspect of the responsible persons spectrum of considerations. Giving the sort of consideration and mindful decision making toward personal finance as you would give to any crucial aspect of your life plans and goals is advisable. With the right choices you can have profitability long-term.
Only a few short years ago the idea of taking a degree in social media would have seen ridiculous. Imagine a BSC in Facebook or a Twitter Diploma, but the reality is that these sites now form a vital role of any marketing campaign. Ten years ago, a campaign could be initiated with a couple of phone calls and a simple press release. This is not the case in todays world of social media.
The colleges across the world have identified this has a huge opportunity to bring in a whole new range of courses to encompass these new skills. There are a whole host of new courses available particularly in media and journalism strong colleges. They come in a variety of flavours but most focus on updating students with the very latest in digital communications.
Web site design and development are all included but aswell traditional skills such as writing content need to be adapted for the online world. We’ve all seen how companies and famous individuals have made terrible blunders by underestimating the reach of a late night Tweet or a careless online remark. The potential for damage exists as well as the huge gains that can be made from a very accessible resourse such as Twitter, Facebook or any one of the many social networking sites.
Some of the more comprehensive courses will cover the legal and technical sides of marketing using the internet. Skills in areas such as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and the legality of digital publishing are extremely important particularly when marketing for a global brand. Students can learn in these courses about other technology like Geotargeting which allows a different message be distributed to different locations. For example you can restrict access to promotional videos on sites like Youtube very easily. Make a video open to one country and others get a message informing them it’s not available in another – like this site demonstrates - http://www.theninjaproxy.org/just-interesting/video-not-available-in-your-country/.
These new college courses also represent a chance for older people to retrain and change careers. Using these new skills to change the direction of their vocation, often utilising existing skills in a new environment. Many people find these courses a chance to break into an area that would not have been accessible previously.
Community Colleges provide a much needed boost to families who may have financial worries when it comes to encouraging their children to go on to higher education.
Children who come from a less privileged background don’t need to give up on their dreams simply because they cannot afford to. You often hear single parents worry about the future of their children as they feel that they would not be able to support them financially at school, they should not have to do this.
Despite the obvious benefits, Community Colleges have their critics with many people stating that it makes the distinction between classes wider in society, and other, perhaps more conservative views suggesting that those who cannot afford higher education should not be awarded this privilege and they clearly have not worked hard enough. It is this mind-set that increases the stigma surrounding Community Colleges.
We live in a society now where equality is high on the agenda, and we should all be given the same chances in life, especially when it comes to academic growth. Learning is a source of enjoyment that should not be taken away from other simply because they do not have the ‘ideal’ background. Community College gives more people the chance to grow and this should be encouraged.
Typically on this site, when we’ve talked about budgets, we have done so in regard to how a college student should handle their finances. Frankly speaking, we probably should spend more time talking about how a college should be doing a better job at handling their own budgets. Over the past few years we have seen ever increasing enrollment as well as strained budgets because of not only that enrollment, but also because community college faculty and administration have spent money that they frankly didn’t have.