In Praise of Community College

Dear Gifted Homeschoolers,

You might be in the position I was just a few years ago, when I started to think about college: probably dreaming of Ivy Leagues, sprawling campuses made of brick, castle-sized libraries, and decorating your first dorm room. For the longest time, my plan was exactly that. I swore up and down I would be moving all the way from my family in California to New England… before I could even legally drive. To study what, exactly? I had no idea. But I was intent on getting a jump start on my college experience by completely turning my life upside-down, all in order to shoot for the stars. 

None of that happened. In fact, my college journey started because my mom signed me up for an art course at my local community college. I know what you’re thinking: “But you were so smart! You could’ve gone anywhere! You lived a half-hour from Stanford. Why community college?” And I’m here to tell you that the two years I spent at my community college were actually the highlight of my journey in higher education. 

Consider it like a pool: some people don’t mind jumping straight into the deep end, but some people prefer to wade in and gradually find the part of the pool they want to swim in. Education has never been a one-size-fits-all situation, especially not for gifted kids, and it doesn’t need to be when it comes to college either. Why not find the methods that make you feel most ready to achieve your goals? 

Growing up in gifted circles, we are often flooded with the mentality of Harvard or bust– where you’re going to be a superstar scientist in your pre-teens or else you’ve tarnished the good “gifted” title. It makes sense in a way, considering being gifted usually means being placed in advanced classes, skipping grades, and even getting accepted into highly selective societies for gifted families. However, making those huge accomplishments at such a young age can be alienating. I was still younger than most of my peers once I transferred to my 4-year university, and it was usually a pretty awkward topic of conversation when someone would learn I was a senior in college at the age of 19. Starting college is already a huge life change, and while immediately going to a selective university across the country is a transition some gifted kids can thrive in (and that’s amazing!), it’s not something that suits everyone right upon high school graduation. 

The truth is, going straight to a traditional 4-year university is expensive, can be extremely stressful, and may not even end up being useful if you aren’t sure what to major in. If you’ve been homeschooled, learning to adapt to a traditional school environment is another major challenge to account for as well. Mix all those factors together and you might be in for an unpleasant college experience. I understand the stigma around community college, too: it doesn’t come with the big fancy name, or the acclaim of receiving a degree in a heavily impacted major. The campuses often aren’t the sprawling brick buildings I originally dreamed of. You likely aren’t moving into a dorm to attend your classes for the year. However, the experience you get at a community college is truly unmatched, and might be just the transition experience you need to succeed.

I mentioned before that my mom had signed me up for an art class at my local community college. She knew I enjoyed drawing, and wanted to give me something to do over the summer that would further my education. That one class blossomed into two, then three, and eventually became an obsession with taking almost all the theatrical design classes the school offered. Even though I wasn’t planning to transfer into a theatre or studio art major, I could take those classes and decide if that was the path for me with no repercussions. Considering classes like theatrical costume design are only offered at a select few universities, I treasure the fact that I could explore those subjects to my heart’s content without committing to a school that would cost me thousands more per semester, and that I might not truly love. 

In that same vein, starting higher education in a low-stress environment makes the eventual transition to a 4-year university far less taxing. You can take the fun classes (I still brag about the one I took about the music history of The Beatles), dig deep into topics that may not be available everywhere, and learn what existing in a college environment is like without completely uprooting your life at a young age to do so. I learned how to really study, keep a daily schedule, prepare for tests, and become a functional college student without the stress of not making enough progress towards my major or losing a scholarship. When the stakes are lower, it’s easier to transition into a brand new phase of life like college. 

I also found my experience with community college professors to be generally extremely positive– especially within more niche subjects like the ones I spoke of above. When I transferred to my 4-year, I was initially in a general design major. The professors there were often not on track to be professors forever, instead teaching on the side while pursuing their craft full-time. The teaching styles were vastly different. Where I felt constantly encouraged and motivated by my community college professors, I felt torn down and perpetually embarrassed when presenting any work to my university’s professors. Were there some great professors at my university? Yes, of course! But for the majority, I found the professors at my community college almost always genuinely cared about their students succeeding, versus slapping a grade on something and moving on with their “real” lives. 

When people from all walks of life come together in one classroom to study the same subject, it makes sense that the professors are there to create a welcoming environment and truly help their students succeed. While you’re not receiving a degree that has an Ivy League title scrawled across the top, the quality of learning is definitely similar thanks to the professors who are dedicated to teaching and empowering students of many backgrounds. During my time at my community college, I met a couple of students like myself, graduating high school young and taking classes to transfer to a 4-year. However, unlike a traditional experience where nearly everyone you meet is your age and in the same step of life as you, my classrooms were filled with people of all ages and reasons for attending. Some had been there just to transfer or obtain an associate’s degree, some there for years to take classes for fun or gain an education while working or parenting. As a first step from homeschooling to traditional school environments, doing so in a place where everyone is truly there to learn (and contribute knowledge from a variety of experiences and life paths) rather than plow straight towards a degree is invaluable. 

While community college wasn’t what I expected to be the star of my educational experience, I can confidently look back and say that community college was a great choice for myself– and should be as highly acclaimed of an option for gifted kids as going straight to the school with a 5% acceptance rate. Going from homeschooling straight to an environment where everyone is pushing and shoving just to get that A grade isn’t for everyone. Community college is an inexpensive, collaborative, positive step between the two that makes it that much easier to make huge educational accomplishments when you’re ready to. Consider it like a pool: some people don’t mind jumping straight into the deep end, but some people prefer to wade in and gradually find the part of the pool they want to swim in. Education has never been a one-size-fits-all situation, especially not for gifted kids, and it doesn’t need to be when it comes to college either. Why not find the methods that make you feel most ready to achieve your goals? 

Yours,
Kaytlin

Kaytlin Smith has been fondly known as the original G3 boarding student. Daughter of founders Jaime and Ben Smith, Kaytlin was homeschooled and took Online G3 classes until she began taking community classes and eventually joined the Honors program at a 4-year public university. She graduated with honors in 2020 and recently launched her own business.