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What should I have decided at age 16, given that journalism was my main interest? Should I have majored in English at a university, where a journalism major did not exist? In retrospect, selecting a community college where I could focus on journalism might have been a better decision. Is community college for you?
Little did I know at age 16 that a community college education would have suited me best.
I was eager to go the university route. A university education seemed more exciting, and attending a university was prestigious. With a nearly 4.0 grade point average and excellent SAT scores, I would have no trouble being accepted.
And so I applied to UC Irvine, closer to my home than UCLA.
What was the problem? Set aside for the moment the fact that before my first quarter I tinkered with the idea of majoring in French and becoming a translator or interpreter. Days after that, I seriously considered becoming a music major, leading to a career as a professional oboist.
I realized before the quarter began that in reality my greatest love was journalism. But I soon discovered that UC Irvine had no journalism major. What next? Well, wouldn’t majoring in social science be valuable for someone entering the journalism field? The answer was and is yes. But what did I learn next? Majoring in social science would require an extraordinary number of computer and math classes to prepare me to do research. I had been a fine high school math student, but is this how I wanted to spend my time?
Ultimately I decided to major in English. After all, I loved reading novels, short stories, essays, poems, plays. And studying creative writing might be fun. But was this really how I wanted to spend the majority of my time? (This is what we call a “rhetorical question.”) Luckily UC Irvine did offer one journalism class, which happened to focus on magazine feature writing, and an independent study supervised by the same freelance writer.
I transferred to UCLA as an English major. After graduating, not surprisingly, “UCLA” on my resume impressed prospective employers. But I hadn’t enjoyed my UCLA experience, not because English literature wasn’t interesting, even fascinating. It simply wasn’t what I wanted.
After graduating, how did I continue learning my craft? How did I succeed in getting my feature articles published? By pouring over straight news stories, feature articles, opinion articles, columns–analyzing them and implementing what I had learned. By recalling what I had learned in my high school journalism classes—valuable even today.
In retrospect, what should I have decided when I was 16? At many community colleges then and now, and ultimately at Cal State campuses, would-be journalists can study journalism. They can study history, political science, economics, sociology and psychology—all fascinating for the curious, and excellent preparation.
And what about literature, French, and music? Art and philosophy? Ethics? Mathematics and business? These are available to community college students on most if not all campuses.
Are you curious about the other values of attending a community college? Some most likely will be more relevant to you than others:
• Lower tuition costs compared to four-year universities
• Smaller class sizes for more individualized attention
• Flexible schedules, including evening and online classes
• The opportunity to explore subjects before committing to a major
• Accessible locations within local communities
• Far easier admission requirements
• Transfer agreements with many colleges and universities
• Career-focused programs and certifications
• Hands-on training in technical and vocational fields
• Supportive resources, such as tutoring, counseling and mentoring
• Opportunities for personal growth and confidence-building
• Diverse student populations with a range of perspectives
• Reduced student debt burden
• Pathway for adult learners returning to higher education
• Flexible scheduling, making it easier to work while attending school
If a community college education strikes you as a valuable option, go for it!