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Do you have a higher chance of succeeding in your career if you choose to study at a 4 year school, rather than attending community college and then transferring after two years?

I am asking this because I am trying to decide between attending community college first, which is cheaper, or going for a 4 year school which I worked really hard to get into. There's a chance that I may not be able to afford to attend a 4 year school yet, and I am nervous that attending community college vs a 4 year school may decrease my chances of succeeding in the medical field.

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Alexander’s Answer

I've known plenty of people who have found success taking the 2 year community college transfer plan so there's no reason why it should diminish your potential.  One great example is a friend who transferred from community college to UC Berkeley after 2 years of hard work, made it into an elite law school, and, after several years in the private sector, now reports directly to the governor of California.

That being said, I found the four year university experience to be fantastic. I made a number of friends early on in college who remain friends over 12 years later. The continuity in that experience may well ease your time finding lifelong friends and other connections that could translate to career opportunities.

Ultimately though, what matters most is what you put into your education. The more invested you are in identifying your curiosities and passions the easier it will be for you to have a successful education and career!

Alexander recommends the following next steps:

Find questions, challenges, activities, or topics that you find compelling and pursue them deeply!
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Ken’s Answer

The answer is no. It really does not matter where you go to school. What really matters is how well you do with your course work and how well you do in networking to create a networking support community that will be very beneficial to you during your education/career journey. Starting at a community college is a very prudent move as the classes are smaller meaning more personalized attention, credits easily transfer to allow you to easily complete your education, and the tuition is more reasonable allowing you to start your education without incurring massive debt which is very difficult to repay. Below are some important tips from my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, which will assist you in reaching your education/career goals. Also, here is an important video for you to watch: ## http://www.ted.com/talks/julie_lythcott_haims_how_to_raise_successful_kids_without_over_parenting?utm_campaign=social&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_content=talk&utm_term=education<span style="color: rgb(103, 106, 108);"> </span>

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Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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Brian’s Answer

No you do not. I had good grades in High School. I went to community college and skipped all the partying that occurs as a freshman. When I came out community college, I was offered a scholarship to a top school.

I decided to not take it. I finished my 4 years at a state university with a lot less debt.

And I was off and running in a great career.
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Kevin’s Answer

There should be no difference. Except it will cost you a lot less than attending a 4 year school. In most cases (and you need to be sure of this) your courses taken at a community college will transfer and typically your community college GPA will not affect your GPA at your 4 year scholl. Also, potential employers will only look at where your degree is from. I think this is an excellent path. I did this myself and graduated with zero debt.
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