I recently graduated from a community college. It took me 5 years to get an associates degree that honestly, I’ll probably never use. But on top of taking a year to pick a major, I also worked 2 jobs the entire time. My mom helped out by paying for some classes and letting me live at home rent free. I had the opportunity to go to a “real” college, a 4 year university in Chicago, but even with financial aid there was no way we could afford it. So rather than sinking myself and my family hundreds of thousands of dollars into debt I opted to stay in community college. There are some things I wish I had been able to do, but after seeing what happened to some of my friends and how they changed after going away to a “real” college, I don’t regret any of my decisions. I graduated debt free. I work full time to support myself and my fiance, who also works full time, so that we can start our life together. So we live with my mom right now, we’re not busting our asses to get the money for rent that just aids someone else. So we make some sacrifices on privacy and luxury for now, but in a few years, we’ll still be debt free and able to buy a house.

But even after all of the crap I’ve had to put up with about how “I don’t know the real pressures of college because I never went to a real school,” I still hold my head up high. Having a degree you can use but refuse to because you’re too scared to join the ranks of the real adult world is worse, in my opinion, than finishing a degree you won’t use but still working towards something else to better yourself. All the time I run into people who think they’re better than me just because they have a higher degree than me. Going to a “better” school, or a more expensive school, or having mommy and daddy hold your hand the whole time don’t make you any better than me. I’m capable of standing on my own 2 feet, working 60 hours a week, and at the end of it, knowing that I’m better off for having stayed at home.

Regardless of what your major is, in almost every case it’s better to start at a community college. They’re generally less crowded, more flexible, and always cheaper. You could cut your college loan debt in half just by getting your associates degree then transferring it to a 4 year school and getting your bachelors degree. I don’t know of a single university that looks down on classes or degrees transferred in from junior colleges, so you shouldn’t have to worry about that. All you have to worry about are the people who are too insecure to admit that there are benefits to not just jumping right into a big university. A lot of students change their major two or three times. Now think of how much of your (or your parent’s) money you waste by doing that. Not sure what you want to do with your life? Start small and go from there.

Community colleges are real colleges too, and there’s absolutely no shame whatsoever in attending one, and even less so in graduating from one.