By Abraham Haifa/reporter

Affordability and convenience top the list of why some students choose community college.

“I have to pay for my education by myself,” South student Nicole Mitchell said. “So, to me, it was the smartest thing to do. Especially since I was undecided on my major.”

Mitchell believes it is best to start at community college first before transferring to a four-year university.

“I probably will have saved $20,000,” she said.

Students who choose community college first usually miss out on two years of university and quite possibly the social aspect of it though, Mitchell said.

But there is no academic difference between students who transfer from a two-year school and one who starts right away at a four-year, Mitchell said.

“Both students leave with the same piece of paper,” she said.

Class size seems to be smaller in community college, NE student Breck Thurston said, adding that this was one of the reasons why he chooses to attend TCC.

“All the classes [at university] were upwards of 200 people,” he said. “If you miss one thing, it’s not like your teacher is going to go over one small thing with you.”

After going to Texas Tech University for a semester, Thurston decided to return back home and attend TCC.

“There’s really no point in spending all that money to get the same [classes] here,” he said.

Some students realize they don’t have the grades to attend university right out of high school and go to community college first to raise their GPA.

One such student is Cameron Bodenstab, former TCC student and current University of Texas at Arlington student.

“Not only did my grades get better, but I saved a lot of money and ended up taking the same courses at TCC that I would have taken at UTA,” Bodenstab said.