So, I’ve spent the last few years at a community college and it is about time to apply to a four-year. Well, over the summer and into the fall, I have been considering which college(s) I want to apply to. Originally, I had my hopes set on the University of Chicago (fabulous place) to study economics, but, alas, they do not accept community college credit. So, the other options were Hillsdale and the University of Washington Seattle. UW Seattle would definitely be an easier choice for me (or so I thought) since it is in state, a public institution, and the business program I am studying at community college would transfer directly to the school without any difficulty. It is also cheaper. However, it appears that I have a really good chance of getting into Hillsdale and although it is semester based (whereas I am currently quarter based), my classes would transfer very nicely and I would not have to go there any more than two years taking no more than five courses a semester. Sweet!!!
So, why am I telling you this? Well, partly so that you can rejoice with me for my great success recently (the Lord has been pouring his blessings on me), but also to talk briefly about community college. Now, from what I understand, I happen to be in a very good community college, but from my experience, community college is not a waste of time. In fact, it could be a life saver for many homeschool (and public and private schooled for that matter) students (as I was) transitioning to a more secular rigorous academic institution. Also, I heard a statistic (which I believe is likely to be true) that said community college students aiming to get a four year degree actually have a much higher success rate (along with maintaining a higher GPA) than students going directly from high school into a four year college or university. Honestly, you cannot go wrong starting at a community college (unless you are going to University of Chicago). For me, I initially wanted to major in history because I love history, but let me tell you that studying something for fun and studying something academically are two very different things. I quickly found out that I liked studying economics and not history so much (although I still study it on my own time). I never would have guessed in my wildest imaginations before I went to college that I would like economics and that it would be my major.
Well, all of that just to say to you high school students (especially if you are homeschooled) that you should consider going to a community college first, even if it is just for a quarter or two, to see what you like and don’t like. I would warrant that many times you will find an interest in something you would not have realized and you will find a dislike for something you thought you loved. Things are not always as they seem and that is important for us to realize sometimes (but then again, who listens to me? 
). I guess a lot of it depends on what you value. If you want the extra prestige of going directly into a four year school, then go ahead, I’m not going to stop you. However, if you don’t mind humbling yourself a little to try a community college, you may find that it was one of the wisest educational decisions you have ever made. Unfortunately, I’ve known a lot of people who snub their noses at community college. If this is you and you think my advice is ridiculous, then do what you think right, but some of these same people I know who snubbed their nose look back and wonder if they would not have been better off starting at a community college.
Okay, so I may sound a little overbearing on this topic, but I’ve had a lot of very critical people think it was a big mistake for me to go to community college, but time and time again, I have seen them proven wrong not only for myself, but also for dozens of other people I know and proven right for very very few.
I’d like to also say something about K-12 at this point, but I’m running out of time. I’ll have to discuss that at a later time. Until then, God bless.
~Jahothanan Schlauberhoffen
