In today’s world, a college degree has become a must need for most careers. A degree can also set someone apart from the crowd as it shows the willingness to learn and grow. College degrees, while they can be important and necessary, have also become extremely costly.
Owens Community College is a community college that has allowed many individuals to gain experience and education regarding a career. It also has allowed for individuals to become familiar with a career and decide to switch to something different before they had invested an insane amount of time and money into a career. With that in mind lies the question, is a community college, such as Owens, a better decision than a big-name university?
To determine whether a community college or a big-name college is the direction to go for higher education, I interviewed two college graduates who took classes at Owens Community College and a big-name university as well.
The first person I interviewed, named Grace Fisher, attended Owens Community College during high school and then went to Mercy College of Ohio for undergraduate studies. The second person I interviewed, Lauren Fisher, went to Owens Community College after undergraduate school at Bowling Green State University.
During both interviews, I asked each interviewee three questions. These three questions are as follows: how much student loan debt did you accrue due to going to each college; which college suited your learning style and abilities better; and if you had to choose a college to attend down the line for a different degree or continuing education, which would you choose?
All three questions were answered truthfully and fully by the interviewees without coercion or bias from me, who currently attends Owens Community College.
How much student loan debt did you accrue by attending each college?
According to Grace, she was extremely lucky when it came to college expenses; she took classes with Owens during high school which allowed for the state to pay for the classes, and subsequently earned a full tuition and fees scholarship for Nursing through Mercy College of Ohio. Lauren, on the other hand, had accrued student debt; she had accrued around $28,000 from attending Bowling Green State University and $6,000 from attending Owens Community College.
On Owens website, anyone can go on and use the tuition and fees estimator to see what they will most likely be paying for the upcoming semester. For the average person who lives in-state and is going to Owens full-time (12 credit hours), they can expect to pay around $3,300 per semester at most.
After thinking about the difference in the amount of student loan debt Lauren accrued from each college, it shows that Owens is much more affordable.
Which college suited your learning style and abilities better?
Both Grace and Lauren answered the question unanimously, Owens Community College. The small class sizes and professors who cared for the students and not just the money of the job allowed for them to feel as though they could find a way to learn effectively, and the college would happily adapt.
Lastly, if you had to choose a college to attend down the line for a different degree or continuing education, which would you choose?
Grace chose Owens Community College as it is more affordable, offers many different degrees, helps with job placement, and provides student support that has yet to be matched for them. Lauren chose Owens Community College as it was much more affordable than Bowling Green State University and still gave her the education that she was wanting and needed. In conclusion, no college or university is perfect. Each college that is attended has its flaws and each person can experience a different version of the college compared to someone else.
When it comes to small class sizes, top-notch education, affordable tuition, accredited degrees, and student success, Owens Community College has proven to do a fantastic job in all aspects. So, when looking for a college to attend to obtain a degree, Owens Community College should be on the list. Owens Community College remains a great option for higher education in many different pathways and careers.
