Community College Or Trade Schools: Choosing The Ideal Educational Route

Only 29% of the entire American population currently possesses a college degree of any kind. An acceptable 64% of people who graduate high school will attend college at some point, but a staggering half of those individuals will fail to complete their education for one reason or another. Considering these statistics, along with the fact that the majority of young people will face personal hardships or other obstacles throughout their high school or college education, one can only assume that many young people are left unsure as to what type of education they should pursue. Between community colleges, trade or vocational schools, universities, and many other forms of online or self-taught education methods - a high-school graduate of today is definitely left with a whole lot of choices.

Conventional College Or Community Colleges

Just about anyone over the age of 18 is aware of the conventional college route. You send out college applications to all the schools you are interested in attending as your high-school graduation day approaches, hoping to receive any number of grants or scholarship along with your acceptance to your first pick. Since it is very difficult to be rewarded with a paid college education through school funding, many young people are forced to turn to their families for help or seek education elsewhere. Deciding to take out various loans through the financial aid office at the college you will be attending is an alternative regularly used, but this can put a lot of stress on you both during school and when trying to find employment after receiving your degree.

Choosing to attend a community college and eventually transfer to a university or other school is one of the most cost-effective means to providing yourself to an education without being rewarded any absolute scholarship or grant, but costs will still be there.

• College text books can cost upwards of $300, so unless you have financial backing or some sort of paying job you will probably have to register for various student loans to cover these costs. As a tip for college students, many of the text books can be found and purchased online at a highly discounted rate.
• Most accredited community colleges will cover a huge range of degrees, and your class scheduling will be decided primarily by yourself. If you would like to take a specific course first, or even multiple courses at the same time, all you have to do is register for the appropriate classes.
• If you enjoy the idea of travel, the conventional college or community college route can be a great way to experience places of the world that you never before imagined you would visit. There are tons of overseas education and exchange student programs that can provide you with an expense-paid trip to live and learn anywhere in the world.
• Community colleges allow for students to enroll for classes even if they don't have their high-school diploma. You are even able to receive credits that will apply directly towards high-school with twice the value (every college course will provide you with ten credits, whereas any class you take in your actual high-school will only count towards five each semester).

Vocational Or Trade School Alternatives

A much cheaper alternative to a standard college education and degree, Trade schools focus on teaching their students specific skills that will be realistically used in a working environment. Although a degree received through any trade or vocational school will not be quite as strong as a college degree, many people are able to find solid employment after graduating and can still earn some great money through the skills they now possess.

If you are interested in earning a higher-paying salary as soon as possible with minimal education fees, deciding to enroll yourself in any program in a trade school can provide you with a better job in as little as one year. In addition to the short length of their programs, you can also rely on your schools job placement resources to help you find work.

• When considering various trade schools, make sure you take a look at the help they will provide you with job placement. Many graduates of a vocational or trade school find themselves unable to find any jobs after graduating because of their school's poor job placement system. Even though this might be the case for some schools, many actually do provide legitimate assistance in finding a job.
• Most of the courses you take will be very hands-on. You will be learning through experience and preparing yourself for your career ahead throughout your entire education. This is a great perk for those who would rather not bore themselves with a bunch of general requirements at any standard college.
• Although the overall length of your schooling will be much shorter in a vocational school, you will have much less freedom in terms of the order in which you take your courses. Most trade schools will offer only a few different options in terms of course regiment: expedited or full-time student, standard or shortened intensity, and often times night courses for people who work during the day.