By Jessica Sierocki, photo editor.
Since you’re reading this, there is a good chance that you are a student of Delta, and as a student at a community college, you have probably wondered if you made the right decision deciding not to attend a 4-year university.
Jenna Matz, who attends both Delta and Michigan State University, money was a factor in deciding where to take classes. “I chose to go to Delta because I needed to get credit for a class, and it was a more affordable option than taking it through MSU,” says Matz.
Communications Professor Barbara Handley-Miller would argue that attending a school like Delta can be good for the community. “I know such a high percentage of Delta’s students stay in Michigan once they earn a degree and help continue to build these communities I care about. I am proud to help prepare graduates to be good citizens of this area,” says Handley-Miller.
Before teaching at Delta Handley-Miller was a professor at Northwood University. She says that the transition was an easy one to make. “The reason why I was thrilled to come to Delta is there is such a rich atmosphere. I can really work with students on expanding their horizons. I love the fact that students can walk through our doors and wherever they are, they can start with developmental courses or hit the ground running and be able to take rigorous academic courses,” says Handley-Miller.
For Matz, Delta’s list of programs falls short compared to 4-year universities. “I love the amount of classes that [MSU] offers, and the wide array of majors and minors there are to choose from,” says Matz.
Some students believe that community colleges have the perk of a small class size where students are able to interact with their professors on a personal level. “Delta allows students to be in constant contact with professors, tutors, and other students to help solve their issues,” says Collin Dole, sophomore.
According to Dole, his family has a history of attending Michigan State University right out of high school but he broke the mold, choosing to attend Delta first. “I have saved thousands by attending Delta for my first two years. In the end, I do not regret any decision I have made to help further my education at Delta,” says Dole.
Though according to Matz, larger universities offer more in the classroom. “I like the classes at Michigan State because they are really challenging and most of them are in large lecture halls which brings better conversation on from questions,” says Matz. “But, it is much more difficult to form a relationship with a professor at a university since many classes have between 200-500 students. Many of my professors don’t even know my name.”
Because of her past teaching experiences, Handley-Miller has some insight on both community college and 4-year universities. “I taught at Northwood University for 10 years, and one of the things I enjoyed about teaching at Northwood University was the fact that we had students that were recruited nationally and internationally. It was wonderful to work with international students,” says Handley-Miller.
It would seem that choosing whether to attend a community college or larger university depends on the student and what they want to get out of their college experience. According to Handley-Miller, deciding whether to attend community college is not about giving up any typical college experiences.
“It’s not an either/or situation, it’s an and/and. You can have a great experience at a community college and you can transfer very successfully and have that 4-year university experience,” says Handley-Miller.
