Community College First by Chelsea

Community College First by Chelsea - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

Choosing a career is a huge decision, and it is completely okay for anybody to be unsure of what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Growing up, I thought I knew what I would do my entire life because of the way I was raised. I thought that there was nothing else out there for me, and that I was set for the rest of my life. I had planned out exactly what I was going to do and where I was going to go once I graduated high school. I planned to go to SUNY Delhi for Construction Management, and because of a hobby I love, I choose to start at Hudson Valley Community College for Construction Technology. Hudson Valley also had a partnership with SUNY Delhi, so it would also have saved me two years of tuition at Delhi compared to Hudson Valley.

My one piece of advice would be to start off at a community college. Some community colleges have great programs! Hudson Valley has a great construction program, and Schenectady County Community College has an amazing Hotel and Restaurant Management program. I think starting at a community college is the best bet for anybody because it saves you, or your parents, so much money in the long run. They are cheaper, and most of the basic classes you need to graduate (math, English, etc.) will most likely transfer from school to school.

As stated before, I went to Hudson Valley Community College with the intent to transfer to SUNY Delhi after. I would have spent two years at Hudson Valley, and then an additional two years at SUNY Delhi and still have my Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management. All of my Hudson Valley credits would have transferred because of the partnership. Rather than spending four years at SUNY Delhi, I saved money, and still made money because I was still living at home so I could still work!

Find what you think you want to do for the rest of your life. Find what school has the best program, and that you love. Find out if they have a partnership with any community colleges, because they are out there, with the intent to gain your admission, but still save you money. Just like with Hudson Valley, SUNY Delhi also has a partnership with Schenectady County Community College for Business Management. That partnership is a little different though, because the second two years I could take completely online if I chose too. So I would be going to SUNY Delhi, yet still living at home!

College is not cheap, so any type of saving money is great. Do not be ashamed if you have any doubt of what you want to do in life, and go to that community college to dip your toes in the water before you take that leap!