Students choosing Tarrant for economics, convenience
by Ashley Sheffield
reporter

Community colleges and universities have many similar qualities.

Perhaps the most important for students is their shared common goal: students receiving an education and professors teaching.

So what makes students choose community colleges over universities?

Tarrant County students have definite reasons for beginning their educations at a two-year college rather than heading off to a four-year university.

Convenience and size brought many students to TCC. Some students are not ready to travel far from home, and others do not want to share a classroom with 100 other students.

“ It is an easy transition straight from high school. Also it is closer to home which is nice,” Erica Herring said.

Agreeing with Herring, Joseph Thomas said community colleges are only a small step up from high school whereas universities are a large step.

Thomas said it is nice to be at a college that feels like high school.

Finances weigh heavily in college destination choices. Students who are concerned with budgets always look for money-saving strategies.

“ TCC costs less,” Kasey Souder said. “It is also smaller, and you seem to be one-on-one with the teachers. I think that it is the best place to start right out of high school.”

With area senior colleges raising tuitions, the community college’s lower tuition is especially beneficial to students who pay for their own education.

“ It’s definitely more affordable since I am paying for it myself. Why not pay less, get your basics done and then transfer? It is also right here in town, and that is nice,” Michael Huerta said.

Besides being an easy transition and affordable, students claim that sometimes they have no choice. Quincy Nelson said he would be enrolled at a university if he could.

“ I did not receive a scholarship in football. I plan on attending here just for the semester and summer. Hopefully, I’ll get a scholarship next year,” he said.

Christopher Smith is among the many students who appreciate and welcome the smaller classes in community colleges.

“ I believe that students are able to make better grades because TCC has smaller classes, and the work is a little easier than at universities,” he said. “It also feels more convenient, and everything is not so spread out.”

Thuy Nguyen agreed with Smith.

“ Classrooms are smaller, making the education easier to understand,” she said. “At universities most of the time, you can’t even understand your teacher. When you go and ask for help, they accuse you of not paying attention.”

Nguyen finds TCC’s faculty more accessible.

“ Here at TCC, you can always ask the teacher for help. You don’t have to use your book to teach yourself the material. Some people see it as easy, but I see it as taking advantage of what I’ve got.”

Nguyen said some people think they are superior because they go to a university, but she disagrees.

“ Really, they are just out more money. We get the same education here at TCC. I’m proud to go here,” she said.

Most students interviewed agreed smaller classes help them feel comfortable and relaxed. Many believe this more intimate setting also allows for better grades because of the extra attention from teachers.

Dr. Marissa Garcia-Luna, director of counseling on SE Campus, deals with many students throughout each semester. She has been with TCC for 10 years and thinks students achieve their goals and succeed by attending community colleges.

“ Most students have a plan for the future. We like them to have a plan. If it is job training or maybe professional, it doesn’t matter as long as they have a vision for themselves,” she said.

Garcia-Luna said most students she talks with choose TCC for the same general reasons.

“ I see that students’ primary reason for choosing TCC is lower cost. TCC offers very personal services to the students. The classrooms are smaller and feel warm and inviting,” she said.

Cost, convenience and one-on-one contact with teachers apparently make a community college a good educational choice.

Last Updated: 4/21/2004
Copyright © 2004 The Collegian - All Rights Reserved