JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Many high school seniors are feeling the pressure as the school year nears its end.
National College Signing Day is Tuesday, and through the Reach Higher and Better Make Room campaigns, students are encouraged to continue their education after high school. But before deciding on a plan of action, it's important that students explore all their options, experts say.
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If a four-year university doesn't yet seem like a good fit, there are plenty of options, including vocational schools or community colleges that might work better for some students.
Vocational schools focus on a type of skill or industry. In most cases, students can get through the program and start a career quickly.
“Not everybody's ready to go off to school,” said Tim Martin, dean of student success at Florida State College at Jacksonville. “Other people have family situations or jobs (they need to consider)."
So when it comes to further education, it's important for students to look at all their options, including community college.
Martin said community colleges provide a convenience that other universities don't offer.
"We offer convenient courses that happen during the day, in the afternoon, in the evening,” Martin said. “They happen on the weekend and even online."
Martin said community colleges offer the same high-quality education and cost less. Most also have smaller class sizes than four-year universities, and offer more than just associate's degrees and certificate programs.
"Of the 28 community colleges in the state of Florida, many of them offer bachelor's degrees,” Martin said. “You can't just think of them necessarily as two-year institutions any longer."
Martin said community college is a good stepping stone for students, and many of the credits can be transferred to a four-year university.
"People want what I call the college experience,” Martin said. “At institutions like FSCJ or community college, there is student life."
But Martin said the college experience differs a bit because at universities, most students attend classes full time.
Martin said about two-thirds of Florida high school graduates begin their higher education careers at a community college. Students planning to take courses at a community college and then transfer to a four-year school should meet with an academic adviser, who can keep students on the right path and make sure the credit hours will transfer to the next colleges they plan to attend.
To celebrate National College Signing Day, students can post a picture with their college acceptance letter with the hashtag #CollegeSigningDay and tag @wjxt4.
Students can also post pictures representing their alma maters. News4Jax could air the photos on The Morning Show.