College Tips

I am currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. But for my freshman year, I attended a small community college before transferring. This experience was a little different than other students. So today, I will be sharing six tips that I have acquired after attending a community college.

1. Begin thinking about your longterm academic goals early. Identify which schools you would like to attend and determine if they will be a good fit for you academically and socially.
2. If you are able to live at home while attending community college, use the money that you would have been spending on housing and instead save as much money as possibly. It will allow you to have money saved if/or when you decide to transfer to a four year university.
3. It may be a little harder to make friends at community college. Many students arrive on campus, go to class and then leave, this results in a lot less interaction between peers. So, make a more conscious effort to interact with peers at the beginning of class. If you are able to get to know your peers in class, it will create a great network to share resources, ideas and experiences.
4. Make an effort to talk with your professors. During class make yourself recognizable and show interest in the topics being presented. Creating a connection with your professors, will make it easier for you to achieve a letter of recommendation if you decide to transfer to a four year college.
5. Take classes that satisfy general education requirements. This will save you time and money if you decide to attend a four year university later on.
6. If you are able to schedule all of your classes, to be on either, Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday. It will allow you to have a better school/life balance and you will only be commenting two days a week instead of four, which will save you money on gas.