For San Jac students, value is priceless
JENNY PEARSON
Issue date: 3/8/10 Section: Opinion
"I go to a community college." Perhaps some of us have said this to only find the listener's eyes dim in obvious disappointment. Perhaps it's been so awkward, that the only way to lighten the mood is to insert a self-deprecating joke, a "Don't worry I'll be out of there soon," or "Yeah, I had too much fun in high school." Of course, it never helps when that person lightheartedly throws back a joke of their own, one at your expense, confirming their reproach of community college. Really, how many of our parents slap a San Jacinto College bumper sticker onto their car? Don't they usually wait until we transfer to a "real" university to post their pride on the rear windshield?
It's interesting, the many ways I've heard people try to justify their decision to attend San Jacinto College. Some say it quickly and get it over with. Others prattle a stream of barely coherent excuses. Some are dead honest and just say it like it is, but they usually say it with resignation. And then some just try their best to make it all a joke.
Still, this is all an issue of pride rather than efficiency. What matters is that as a student, you're here. You're working. You're carving your own path to a degree that's going to pay off in the long run. And, perhaps the most valid point regarding the current recession, you're doing it for a bargain. If you filter out the negations often stereotyped with community colleges, as painfully true as they can be, you're saving literally thousands of dollars a year. It's an unfortunate fact that most students here simply do not have the luxury of covering the bills charged by a typical university. Many are not blessed with the convenience of financially adequate parents, and are intimidated by the lengthy fine print and escalating interest rates found in private loans. Whatever the case, a community college contains the value bin for college credits. Virtually the same thing found in universities, but marked down at radically low prices.
Some of us will continue to deal with that discouraged look from time to time, whether it be by strangers, family members, or even our own peers. Just keep in mind that people shouldn't have to pay thousands for prestige, for some false sense of "worth". People should just pay for what they need.
It's interesting, the many ways I've heard people try to justify their decision to attend San Jacinto College. Some say it quickly and get it over with. Others prattle a stream of barely coherent excuses. Some are dead honest and just say it like it is, but they usually say it with resignation. And then some just try their best to make it all a joke.
Still, this is all an issue of pride rather than efficiency. What matters is that as a student, you're here. You're working. You're carving your own path to a degree that's going to pay off in the long run. And, perhaps the most valid point regarding the current recession, you're doing it for a bargain. If you filter out the negations often stereotyped with community colleges, as painfully true as they can be, you're saving literally thousands of dollars a year. It's an unfortunate fact that most students here simply do not have the luxury of covering the bills charged by a typical university. Many are not blessed with the convenience of financially adequate parents, and are intimidated by the lengthy fine print and escalating interest rates found in private loans. Whatever the case, a community college contains the value bin for college credits. Virtually the same thing found in universities, but marked down at radically low prices.
Some of us will continue to deal with that discouraged look from time to time, whether it be by strangers, family members, or even our own peers. Just keep in mind that people shouldn't have to pay thousands for prestige, for some false sense of "worth". People should just pay for what they need.
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