Prereqs at a Community College

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If you completed prereqs at a Community College, what was your experience like? Do you think it was beneficial rather than completing them at a University?

I ask because I am thinking about attending a Community College. I was going to attend a University however, there is a $600 per credit hour price differential. I can take the required 3 credit hour course for $219 at a Community College, the same course is well over $800 at the university I am interested in.

What are your thoughts?

I'd like to know if the previous things I've read about taking classes at CC's is accurate --- that the grades they expect would be 4.0 --- because they might feel that the standards are different at CC's vs Uni's.

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Specializes in NICU, High-Risk L&D, IBCLC.

I also completed all prereqs at community colleges (three of them to be exact). I felt this was extremely beneficial because it costs way less and I don't feel like I received any different of an education compared to my classmates that completed theirs at the university. Each student will have his/her own preference.

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Specializes in NA.
I have done both so hopefully I can help with your decision. Definitely check to see how the credits transfer to a 4 year university. I found the classes to be of approximately the same degree of difficulty. I did enjoy the community college classes a bit more because they were smaller. I think too that because I returned to the community college as an adult that I had more in common with the students there versus returning to a 4 year college. I felt it was easier to request help, though help was readily available at both places. If you don't feel you have to have the full campus experience and are primarily interested in your classes versus extracurriculars, I would go with the community college. Talk with an advisor at both types of schools and find out the transfer policy at the 4 year school. Get a list of course requirements for a BSN and for an ASN transfer BSN route at the 4 year college... you may find you are able to skip a couple non preferred classes that way. If I get my ASN at the local community college then transfer into the 4 year college I get to skip my second chemistry class and statistics ...can't beat that. You will also get your degree quicker and can work part time as an RN while getting your BSN that way it is paid for by the facility you work for. There are part time programs that allow you to take just a couple classes a semester. I hope this helps.
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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

I'm at the university right now (1.5 yrs), but most of my pre-reqs I took at the CC (2 years). No difference, you will even find MANY of the adjunct faculty teach all over town, at both CC level and University. I can't tell that the university is any harder at all than my CC classes.

I had no problem getting into the BSN program, even with mainly CC pre-reqs.

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I took all my prereqs at the CC. I had awesome professors and the students in my classes were top notch. I feel that I got a great education for a very small price. I have a bachelor's degree already and I feel that the education I got at the CC was just as good...if not better!

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Specializes in None Yet.

Thanks for the replies guys! Like many of you, I already have a B.A as well as an M.A so I've already had that "College Experience" (boy did I have fun) plus I fulfilled the general education requirements. I think the community college is the best route for me at this point because if I attend a major Univ again, I am going to be charged the graduate rate, even though I am not pursuing a graduate degree...go figure:angryfire .

Anywho, thanks again for the wonderful advice, you all are the best!

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If your credits transfer, then all you're doing is saving $$ by going to a community college. That's what I am doing.

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Specializes in OR.

I'm taking my prereqs at CC after checking with the admissions director at my target RN program that the credits will indeed transfer. I'm also taking my prereqs at CC because I'm living in South America and studying online, and believe it or not community-college offerings are better than any universities I've found. With the universities, I got lots of "You can take all your science classes online! (but you will have to come to campus once a week for labs)." REALLY not helpful when you live on another continent.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I've done both also and feel that the two community colleges that I've attended were definitely cheaper and I feel,at least in my experience, easier than the university classes so my gpa did benefit.

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I have taken all my pre-reqs at the community college too. I started out at a big university with a totally different major and I can say that I actually prefer the CC. The one science class I took at the big univerity had over 100 students in it and labs were not fun to say the least. At the CC the classes are much smaller which is an advantage to me. I feel like I get more 1 on 1 time with the professor. Also I attend the after work classes and most of the students are older and "more serious" (not that younger student's aren't, heck I'm only 22!) But I can tell you there is a difference between classes where the average age is 19 and a class where the average age is mid to upper 20's. (not trying to knock ages or universities here, just giving my personal experience!) Of course at the university I wasn't a nursing major so I didn't have direct experience with nursing pre-reqs, just general biology.

I def agree with you. Although I am only 19, i attend mostly night classes at a cc. I think i am the youngest one in my chem class! but i like it alot better, everyone in night classes are working or parents and it is alot better, especially when you have lab partners who are more serious! if i wanted to feel like i was back in highschool i would attend the earlier classes

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