Making the Right Choice: Tips for Choosing Between State College and a State University

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So you've decided to attend college; now what? There are so many options to be made, and as a 17/18 year old, you have no idea what to do. Here are some pointers...

The Benefits of Attending a University vs. a State College

First off, let me state that many accomplished individuals attended state colleges before completing their degrees at universities. State colleges are a fantastic choice if you are rejected from state universities or the university of your choices; some even provide guaranteed admission to universities once you finish. Some even allow you to finish with more than an AA by offering entire 4-year majors. If you didn't perform well in high school or you have an alternative course of study that doesn't need you to attend a university, I believe a state college is an excellent choice.

Let's now assume that you have been admitted to a university as well as a state college. In my opinion, choosing the university should be obvious, but why?

Transferring from a state college to a university is not as simple as it sounds.

I've frequently heard that doing the same course at a state college is typically easier than taking the same course at a university. Some students find that the increased difficulty of the university courses is too much for them to handle, and they simply give up.

I received my AA and completed all of my general education classes! Let's take four major classes at once and DIE!

Not only are the classes more difficult, but you have completed the "easy" general education classes and must now exclusively take classes in your major. Having four engineering classes with labs and final exams all in the same week is a nightmare. Again, feasible, but why subject yourself to this?

I do not have the financial means to attend university.

The difference in cost is not significant; I understand that a couple thousand dollars may seem like a lot to a high school graduate, but it is not in the long term. Also, remember that having a pleasant experience at school as well as finishing on time or sooner would more than make up for the several thousand dollars. When will you finish? Shouldn't it be the same as transferring to and completing a university degree? No, it does not. Why??? Because of the classes offered each semester. Yes, not all classes are always available, and yes, these classes are required for graduation. And just a few are prerequisites for taking additional classes. So you can be very stuck and have to take only two classes one semester in order to take the remainder of your classes.

Is it possible for me to attend a state college while also attending university? How does it work?

You can take classes at Valencia College while still attending UCF (University of Central Florida), which is where I went to college. As a result, you save money while having the option of attending one of two institutions.