Courses in College

Community colleges offer a plethora of program options today, ensuring everyone who enrolls in one of these two-year schools can embark on the career of their dreams. For some, community college is a stepping stone into higher education that allows them to transfer to a college or university and pursue a four-year degree. For others, community college is the whole ball of wax – the training necessary to launch an exciting career path. For those who fall into the latter category, here is a list of 10 exciting fields you can enter with only a two-year degree under your belt.

Hospitality Manager

Hospitality managers can work anywhere there is a restaurant, hotel, or cruise ship – which means just about anywhere in the world. While many work their way up the hospitality hierarchy without formal training, an associate degree and on-the-job experience will get you where you want to go much faster. According to a report by Fox Business, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates the average salary for a food-service manager to be $46,320, while a hotel manager averages $45,800 annually.

Graphic Designer

Let your creativity shine with a position as a graphic designer. This professional works with a wide range of mediums, from print publications to film and the web. Graphic designers consider the vision of each individual client while weighing the needs of the target market to create messages that are attractive and effective. A two-year degree program is

A number of community college students from around the country are headed to NASA to help design robotic rovers for Mars exploration. The 92 students chosen for the project were carefully selected after participating in interactive online assignments throughout the school year. They will be headed to a NASA center this spring to complete their tasks. The National Community College Aerospace Scholar program designed the project, with sponsorship from NASA, and will include students from 24 different states across the country.

This video discusses the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program.

The Purpose of the Program

According to a press release on the NASA website, the program is based on the Texas Aerospace Scholars program, which was originally created as a partnership between the state’s education community and NASA. The purpose was to get more students excited about STEM areas of study, particularly science and engineering. This particular project, through the National Community College Aerospace Scholar program and NASA, is designed to offer hands-on opportunities in STEM fields that will inspire more students to enter those fields after they finish college.

“I am so proud of the Community College Aerospace Scholars program,” Leland Melvin, NASA’s associate administrator for education, stated in the press release. “Community colleges offer NASA a great pool of STEM talent critical to our scientific and exploration initiatives. They also serve a large portion of

New studies on incoming community college students found that as many as one-quarter of all students entering schools may be assigned to remedial courses they don’t really need. The studies, conducted by the Community College Research Center at Columbia University, discovered that although students are assigned to these remedial courses based on placement test scores, many would have been able to earn a “B” or better heading directly into college courses. The findings are significant because the large majority of students who take a remedial course in community college do not end up finishing their program and earning their degree.

About the Placement Tests

Many community colleges require incoming students to take placement exams before they can register for courses. The purpose of the examinations is to identify students who might need remedial help to ensure their success in college-level courses. The most common tests used by schools today are the ACT’s Compass or the College Board’s Accuplacer. Tests are designed to show academic deficiencies so students can be brought up to par before they are introduced to the rigors of a college curriculum.

However, the New York Times reports that while examinations have been used extensively since the 1980s, students often do not realize the importance of the scores they earn. Students are rarely encouraged to prepare for these examinations like they would for the ACT or SAT. Some students are told not to worry about the tests because they are simply

According to the American Association of Community Colleges, the average age for a student at a two-year institution is 29. But what about those who fall well outside of that average? While most would agree that you are never too old to learn something new, some youngsters trying to move up the academic ladder have faced major hurdles. Others have persevered, proving that higher learning is advantageous for students of all ages.

12-Year-Old Denied College Access in Florida

Issues regarding young students have plagued colleges for some time, but one recent report that made national headlines was that of Anastasia Megan of Center Hill, Florida. At the age of 12, Anastasia, or “Annie” as she is called by friends and family, was more than ready for the academic rigors of college. She had completed most of her secondary work through homeschooling and had aced three college placement tests when she applied for enrollment at Lake-Sumter Community College.

The college, however, didn’t see things quite that way. According to a report in the Orlando Sentinel, instead of the school readily admitting the young woman, they set up multiple roadblocks to keep her off the college campus. First, the college voiced concern about Megan’s social maturity and then worried about her physical safety on a campus filled with older students. Next, the school required one of Megan’s parents to attend class with her and then decided a parent wouldn’t be allowed into the classroom.

Complaint filed

A potential college student interested in pursuing the performing arts as a career or hobby may not look to a community college as their first choice in realizing that dream. However, many community colleges nationwide offer state-of-the-art facilities and first-class instructors in theatre and music today. Whether you are looking for a college major program or simply a place to ham it up onstage after class time, a community college might be the perfect place to explore your creative side.

The Benefits of Music in Higher Education

Music is a beneficial component to add to the higher education experience, whether it is a major course of study or something to enjoy on the side. According to Tarpley Music, some of the benefits of music in education at any level include:

• Social Benefits – Studies show that students who participate in some sort of music program while in school have a lower incidence of drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse.
• Scholastic Benefits – Music students also tend to score higher on standardized examinations, whether in primary, secondary or post-secondary schools. They also earn more “A’s” and “B’s” in their coursework than students who are not in music.
• Behavioral Benefits – Research from the National Data Resource Center shows that students in music programs are less likely to be classified as “disruptive” in school
• Intellectual Benefits – One study suggested that music training is superior to computer training in enhancing abstract reasoning skills used in math