<p>I go to a community college and I feel so isolated. I’m in the minority where only a handful went to catholic high schools and grammar schools so it’s seen as a waste of money that only “snobs” attend (I’m not really religious, but I have every right to defend Catholicism since it’s part of my culture) and my view on education is completely different from theirs: I strongly believe in a liberal arts education while a good majority believe that any major that does not lead to a job or seems unpractical is deemed useless and a waste of time. I try hard to defend my upbringing and my views that even when I do, at the end of the day I feel so alienated. I really don’t know what to do. I just feel like giving up and throwing away my beliefs and just conform.</p>
<p>A CC has many people who are on different paths and are not looking as far down the road as you or are dealing with life’s impediments to their reaching their college dream.</p>
<p>My DD went to CC as a HS student, but most of the girls she met their were girls who were 22-26 with a kid or two, just in a very different life place with different goals.</p>
<p>Can you find a club? An intra-mural sport? Anything where you can connect with like minded people?</p>
<p>I am not sure about the catholic HS thing, why does your HS even come up? If you don’t go into it, you don’t have to defend it, right?</p>
<p>Please remember the importance of having a division of labor. If everyone wanted to be a lawyer, who would perform the duties of a plumber, mechanic, teacher, nurse, etc.? I agree with the value you place on a liberal arts education. However, it is not necessarily a bad thing that other people do not share your opinion. Our economy needs a variety of people and opinions in order for all of us to succeed.</p>
<p>All that you have in this world is what you know. Knowledge is the one thing that no one can take from you. In that sense, your high school in grammar school educations could never be a waste of money.</p>
<p>“strongly believe in a liberal arts education while a good majority believe that any major that does not lead to a job or seems unpractical is deemed useless and a waste of time.”</p>
<p>Seems to be quite a broad statement. How do you know this about your fellow students? Are you in your first year at community college? Of course you should stay true to your beliefs…why would you feel the need to conform. Work on studying hard and accomplishing your goals.</p>
<p>By the way many liberal arts graduates do have good jobs! I do!</p>
<p>“I strongly believe in a liberal arts education”</p>
<p>For good reason :)</p>
<p>"Though small in number when compared to America’s large public universities, liberal arts college graduates are represented disproportionately among leaders in the arts, education, science and medicine, public service and business. A 1998 study found that even though only 3 percent of American college graduates were educated at a residential liberal arts college, alumni of these colleges accounted for:</p>
<p>8 percent of Forbes magazine’s listing of the nation’s wealthiest CEOs in 1998
8 percent of former Peace Corps volunteers
19 percent of U.S. presidents
23 percent of Pulitzer Prize winners in drama, 19 percent of the winners in history, 18 percent in poetry, 8 percent in biography, and 6 percent in fiction from 1960 to 1998
9 percent of all Fulbright scholarship recipients and 24 percent of all Mellon fellowships in the humanities
20 percent of Phi Beta Kappa inductions made between 1995 and 1997
On a per capita basis, liberal arts colleges produce nearly twice as many students who earn a Ph.D. in science as other institutions. Liberal arts graduates also are disproportionately represented in the leadership of the nation’s scientific community. In a recent two-year period, nearly 20 percent of the scientists elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences received their undergraduate education at a liberal arts college."</p>
<p>[The</a> Nation’s Top Liberal Arts Colleges](<a href=“http://www.collegenews.org/topliberalartscolleges.xml]The”>http://www.collegenews.org/topliberalartscolleges.xml)</p>
<p>No need to convince me of the value of a liberal arts education. Why would you assume that your fellow students do not. Of course they are interested in preparing for a job as well. These are not mutually exclusive goals. A Liberal Arts education can lead to very good jobs. I know I have one. My first degree is in General Arts and Sciences.</p>
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<p>Division of labor is very important, I know this. I never said that plumbers or teaches or whatever vocation is inferior to a liberal arts education. When in class, I defend my views on education and I am barraged by fellow classmates . I understand they have a different outlook on life but where’s the respect? There are students who are parents, teenagers paying for their own college, and some who work jobs that pay for their education - I respect that, but that does not mean they need to have a chip on their shoulder every time this “snob” shares his opinion. I sense bitterness and the lack of understanding in my classrooms and I really can’t stand it.</p>
<p>OP, CCs are traditionally aimed at vocational education. Why on earth did you go to one, if that is not your focus? </p>
<p>I would concentrate on trying to transfer to a more general state university rather than worrying about the different focus of your fellow students.</p>
<p>Those who frequently suggest that students do their first two years at CCs might want to consider this student’s point of view before blithely suggesting such a course.</p>
<p>My D is in her 3rd semester at a community college as well. She was just recently accepted as a transfer at a 4-year private university that she is very excited about attending. I suggest you look into transfer options for yourself as well–there are probably options in your state & beyond. You will likely have to find these on your own as many community colleges are not well designed to help students tranfer, but you may be happily surprised by the options if you work at it.</p>
<p>Oh yea, she was/is very isolated and did not feel she fits in at her community college. There were very few extra-curricular options & since it is a very commuter campus she has made very few friends as well. She has kept in touch with friends from HS & will probably do a lot of studying this year, since all her HS friends have left for out-of-state colleges this year. She has made some acquaintances in a few classes, but none have “gelled.”</p>