Being a student in Central Pennsylvania is really a plus anyway you look at it. PA has a great number of state schools that work with HACC, and a lot of other community colleges in order for transferring purposes. I know personally, it was very easy and convenient for me to transfer from a state school to HACC and vice-versa because they acknowledge the students needs on both sides. There are so many schools to choose from in the surrounding area, and the majority of them are nationally acclaimed colleges. A lot of the colleges also have Master programs so that individuals can go back and acquire their Master’s degree. A lot of students come from out of state to go to school in Pennsylvania one, because there are cheaper options, two, the cost of living is less expensive than other states, and three because there are just so many good options to choose from. A huge school that gets nationally recognized year after year in Central PA is the Pennsylvania State University main campus (PSU). Granted this isn’t the only top school in the state, but it is one that students travel to PA for. HACC is also a nationally recognized community college for their education opportunities for students, so I feel like it is a great place to be currently!
Get on the Web!
Isn’t it nice to be able to locate your assignments and access them via the web? I love this feature about HACC. Not only is it easy to access, but it allows you the time to still go about your day as you normally would without having to go into a classroom. I first started taking online courses at HACC two summers ago. I was pretty hesitant about it, but I was willing to take a risk. Now, here I am in my last semester at HACC and all of my classes are online. Some people may say, “well there’s no interaction with others,” but actually, you’d be surprised by the amount of time you take talking to other classmates. There are all sorts of topics in discussion questions, in chat rooms and even access to students emails in case you’re too embarrassed to ask in front of the whole class. I think it gives a unique quality to learning, and really gives you the ability to focus when you’re ready to focus. Sometimes I would find myself going into class and not getting a single thing out of it because I had everything else going on. In virtual school at HACC, I am able to sit down and give my full attention to my work when I know that I will have the time to focus and make the most out of my education. It has been a great learning experience for me, and has opened me up to a whole new world of learning. Might I add, the teachers are extremely nice and willing to work with you via the web, so that’s a plus! I would recommend virtual learning to a lot of students, that is if you have the determination and loyalty to do the work on your own.
The life of a Communications student
Here I am, two years later and still loving the life that a Communication student lives. It’s such a real, down to Earth major that is going to be useful for the rest of my life. There are so many different options to go into through the Communications major such as Journalism, Public Relations and Human Communications. I personally chose Public Relations because I love being with people and helping others the best way I can. It is such a unique path because nothing is ever the same; all situations are different in their own way. There is also a large population of Communication students because there can be a number of fields to go into. There are government jobs, military jobs, school positions, non-profit jobs and so many more to get into. I was originally an Exercise Science major because I loved the idea of being in sports all the time, but after going through the science classes, I knew it wasn’t for me. The classes that are involved with Communications are public speaking, media writing, comm. theory and so on. As I said before, the classes are so down to Earth and just make you an overall better communicator which is a skill that is needed for the rest of your life. I think that this is an extremely important major in today’s age because everything is going viral and to the media. It makes me happy that some students are still interested in learning how to communicate face-to-face and learn how to do it correctly. I would recommend the major of Communications to anyone because it allows students (especially me) to grow as an individual and really learn about others.
What a Bunch of Losers!
Were you ever one of those kids in high school who would make fun of others for going to a Community College since they couldn’t get in to another institution? Well, I hate to say it, but I was one of those kids. Not that I would do it to hurt those people, but just because I had higher standards of where I wanted to go to college, and I felt that other’s should too. Turns out, I went away to college my freshman year to Shippensburg University and I ended up coming back home after the first semester. Being away from home just wasn’t working for me, and before I knew it, I was one of those Community College kids. I felt so ashamed and I prayed that no one I knew would see me there. It was so embarrasing! I would go in to my classes at the last possible second and leave as soon as they were done so I would have as little chance to see others. Three years later, and I’m still at Community College and I am so happy that I made the choice to go there. It was such a smart move for me since I wasn’t happy being away from home, as well as because I didn’t exactly know what I wanted to do with my life yet. Going to a Community College is a great way to get your feet wet in the college world, all while saving money, being close to home, and getting some of the essential classes out of the way. Today, I recommend Community College to a lot of high schoolers when they struggle with deciding where to go. I’m glad I took this step in my life, even though at the time it was one of the hardest things I had to face.
When you were in high school, did you ever have the same thoughts about people who went to a Community College? If so, where do you stand now?
To Be, or Not To Be 