I have read numerous posts in Facebook groups about the benefits of attending a community college and then transferring. To me, for most college-bound students, that’s a great Plan B, but not necessarily a great Plan A. Let me explain.
I commuted during my first two years of college, then lived on a college campus for the remainder of my B.A. and I even lived on a large state university campus for my M.A.
If I had my life to do over, there is no way I would have taken the 2+2 path. From a purely social perspective, since social groups were mostly formed during the freshman year, I graduated with people whom I really did not know. I feel no loyalty to either college and do not go to reunions. From an educational perspective, the professors and advisors at my first college advised me in one direction, then the second college advised me in a completely different direction, which was confusing. Most of my courses transferred, but it wasn’t a perfect fit. For example, I had to retake a class based on a technicality. Also, if they had not allowed me to take a class independently, I would have had to attend an extra semester. I missed out on some research, internships, and study abroa For me, it was like I took some classes and got some degrees…but I never really “went to college” in the truest sense. My friends who went all four years graduated with a more holistic and fulfilling education, not to mention lifelong friendships and memories.
I can tell you from personal experience that there is a huge qualitative difference between commuting and living on campus. In my 42 years as an admission representative for small, private, residential colleges, I had countless conversations with students and parents about this subject. For students and parents who sincerely believe that college is: classes A+B+C+D = Degree (“therefore we might as well commute”), it was very difficult to convince them that the “whole should be greater than the sum of its parts.” The economical and convenient way is not always the best way. College is very much a resume-building venture, and being on campus helps to increase the number of experiences to add to that resume. Employers know that you have taken classes. Employers want to know what else you have done (that sets you apart) and what experiences and soft skills you can bring to the table.
I had the pleasure of having coffee with the CEO of a major international financial company. He explained this to me very simply. He said that anyone can read books and attend classes and take tests. The reason for his success (at the tender age of 41, by the way) had nothing to do with the classes he took or the books that he read. Rather, it was the relationships he developed, living on campus at a small liberal arts college, interacting daily with faculty and staff, that sent him on a path to success. He said that it was the conversations late at night (at a coffee shop or bar) with faculty that helped to shape his true education. Most of these professors were not even teachers in his “major.” Simple conversations. Learning to agree to disagree. Learning the true art of debate and argumentation (disagreeing without anger). Learning empathy. All of this occurred outside of class times---on or close to campus--even in the freshman and sophomore years. According to an article written about him, “his experiences inside and outside the classroom contributed to an element that is nearly as important to him as the relationships he formed." “Something that is greatly undervalued in the job market – and it’s a difficult skill to measure – is critical thinking,” ... “I learned critical thinking skills in spades…. When you think about going to business school or learning the trade, everyone does the same case studies. But it’s how you apply those lessons and what you do with the knowledge that’s really important – maybe solving the issue in a different way or coming up with a unique approach.””
I know that it is possible for a commuter to join clubs, spend time in residence halls, attend athletic events, play sports, be in choral and theatre performances, work on campus, etc. However, it is (statistically and logistically) less probable. Students who commute to a community college often also have a part-time job away from campus, which gives them less time to interact with individuals on campus. Plus, commuting time is just wasted minutes---time that you could have spent cramming for that big exam! Students who live on campus tend to have significantly more interaction with other students and with faculty/administration/staff than do commuters, which helps when asking for letters of recommendation. They have a higher probability of being in multiple campus organizations, working on campus, playing sports, and both attending and participating in artistic activities. They also have the unique opportunity to potentially be a three-year Resident Assistant or Head Resident in a dorm or an officer in a fraternity or sorority, which gives them a wealth of leadership skills to boost their resume.
Let’s look at some of these on-campus opportunities and analyze them in terms of some soft-skills that are developed in each:
#1 LIVING IN A DORM OR GREEK HOUSE (especially with a roommate): interpersonal/social skills, adaptability, problem-solving, decision-making, stress-management, conflict management, ability to negotiate, empathy/emotional intelligence, tact, self-motivation, punctuality Note: if students become Resident Assistant or Head Resident, they also develop additional strong leadership, problem-solving, and negotiation skills.
A couple of my recruits from past years expressed this well:
Andrea: “I lived on campus all four years…and the biggest skill I learned was how to share my space with someone I didn't know and find a way to get along with them. Every job I've had has required me to work closely with at least one colleague that I did not agree with or get along with. When you share a room with someone you don't know and might not have necessarily chosen to live with, it opens your eyes. And honestly, having been raised as mostly an only child (my brother was 13 years older than me), I was a spoiled brat. I needed to be in a situation where someone else's needs and preferences were equal to mine. I wasn't perfect at it, but in my current job and most jobs before, I've been able to respect different opinions and work on ways to compromise instead of expecting everyone to conform to me. Plus, not having my mom around to stand up for me and having to actually work problems out on my own has been integral to every aspect of my life. I'm not perfect and I still get frustrated sometimes when I don't get my way but I have the capacity to talk to someone I don't get along with and try to see things from their side. Having a college roommate was probably one of the biggest learning opportunities I ever had.”
Marty: “Based on who I ended up with as a roommate my first semester of my freshman year, someone must have thought I needed extra practice learning to deal with difficult people!" Of course, my subsequent roommate probably looked at me as the difficult one.… I suppose an argument could be made that those living off campus are given greater opportunity for "life lessons" - budgeting, paying bills, cooking for themselves, but any roommate or community living situation provides wonderful opportunities to develop interpersonal skills, including conflict resolution, compromise, empathy, listening, and leadership to name a few. It also helps one learn that there are situations over which one has limited or no control and how to make the best of bad situations. More than anything, living on campus should give a crash course in exposure to people from different backgrounds…”
#2 INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS WITH ADMINISTRATION, FACULTY, AND/OR STAFF OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM (outside of class time, sometimes in the evenings) : communication, critical thinking, creativity, positive argumentation, openness to criticism, innovation, self-confidence, accountability, ability to network, critical observation. These kinds of opportunities are very common, even for freshmen, at smaller residential colleges and universities.
#3 BEING IN A FRATERNITY OR SORORITY: communication, teamwork, leadership, interpersonal/social skills, time-management, stress-management, conflict management/resolution, self-confidence, positive attitude, pleasant personality/friendliness, accountability, empathy/emotional intelligence, tact, cultural competence, and probably most important---the ability and opportunity to NETWORK (especially after graduation)
#4 BEING VERY INVOLVED IN ATHLETICS, MUSIC, THEATRE, SPEECH, STUDENT GOVERNMENT (or another organization that requires many meetings per week): communication, teamwork, leadership, organization, problem-solving, interpersonal/social skills, work ethic, time management, decision-making, creativity, positive argumentation, resourcefulness, ability to negotiate, innovation, self-confidence, accountability, ability to take initiative, cultural competence. This also contributes to a strong and robust resume upon graduation.
I could go on and on about various on-campus opportunities (and the many soft skills they help develop), but let it suffice to say that students who have had the four-year on-campus experience bring more to their first job than just grades, facts, and technical skills. Furthermore, students who attend smaller 4-year residential colleges tend to have a higher probability of being involved in multiple activities and a higher probability of interaction with faculty and staff. The letters of recommendation from faculty and staff at the smaller colleges tend to be very detailed and tend to focus more on soft-skills (that do not always show on an actual resume). Placement rates of 95-99% are not unusual at smaller residential colleges. It is also common for alumni who lived on campus at small colleges to rise to leadership positions quickly due to the soft-skills that they developed.
My message to students and parents: I know that life experiences and financial circumstances do not always allow you the option of attending a 4-year residential college…But if you do have the opportunity, please take advantage of it. It’s not always just “going to happen”---you need to “make it happen.” Many parents, who initially thought they could not afford a four-year residential college, have found creative ways to make it happen. Not all private colleges are overly expensive, especially some of the smaller private colleges. If it looks like your “dream school” is going to be too expensive, perhaps you need to shift your focus to an entirely different group of four-year colleges that offer lots of merit-based aid. They are out there! There are ways to make it happen financially, so please explore all scholarship and grant avenues before making this huge decision. And if you do live on campus, please get involved. The more you get involved, the more soft skills you will develop. This will be a life-changing decision that you will never regret.
Comments