Community College Tuition and State University Fee Increases Approved

Community College Tuition, Fee Increases Approved – Courant.com.

As expected you knew this was going to happen and they voted for the increase in a rough economic times in this country. Now they raised tuition for the Connecticut state university system to 3.8 while the community college system to 3.1. That means starting in the fall of 2012 the price for going to either the Connecticut state university system or the Community college system is going to be sky high. What it roughly means is that people who attend or want to attend the Connecticut State university system, will now have to shell out $676 bucks more to attend the system. In the Community college system, they would have to shell out $108 bucks more to attend the community college system.

Now in this tight rough economy, who the hell has $676 to shove for the Connecticut State University system and $108 to the Community College system. I most certainly don’t and I bet the vast majority of the middle class in Connecticut doesn’t either. I bet people on both campuses are wondering how they are going to afford it for the coming fall semester. Some may drop out or some may transfer to a cheaper private college or out of state college to get their education.

With the tuition increase coming for the fall semester, I will bet that this will put more added pressure on students and families to find ways to fund their education and may end up forcing them to move to more cheaper and less expensive out of state colleges and possibly private colleges. I wouldn’t be surprise if enrollment dipped because the tuition increased and students & parents can’t afford to go to those schools. I would not be shocked or surprise that after hearing the tuition increase that students and parents are scrambling to find cheaper out of state colleges or Private colleges for the fall semester.

It makes you wonder where the tuition increase is going to and why increase tuition when everyone is hurting economically. Part of me knows that it’s a bad time to do this and part of me feels the pain that students and parents are hearing right now. Maybe it’s time to really jump ship and Bail out of Connecticut because the cost of living here is too much and the way they are treating people is totally wrong.

Regents recommend 3.8 percent hike in tuition, fees for CSU system | The Connecticut Mirror

via Regents recommend 3.8 percent hike in tuition, fees for CSU system | The Connecticut Mirror.

So you have to wonder how much of a tuition increase is this going to have an impact on college students in Connecticut in a global economic recession. The middle class alone, is getting squeezed out of existence and if they raise tuition at the CSU system and the community college system. I wonder how many will not be able to afford to attend college in the Connecticut state university system or the community college system.

With the pending vote on raising tuition at the state university system and the Community college this Thursday. One has to wonder, if this dose become a reality, How many people in the State of Connecticut can be able to afford to go to the Connecticut state university system or the Community College system. They are looking at raising tuition at the Connecticut state university system to 3.8 percent and at the 12 community college system at 3.1 percent. With those potential increases, that in my opinion would make that very unaffordable to those in the middle class who are seeking higher education. With that type of increase in a global economic recession, that will simply drive students away from higher education or seek alternatives to higher education.

The one thing I see this increase in tuition will do, is make it tougher for college students to attend college in Connecticut. It will drive them out because either they can’t afford the tuition increase or the sticker shock will scare them away. It would make them look elsewhere for higher education to places such as private colleges or even out of state colleges.

I think it’s really a bad time to raise tuition in Connecticut for the Connecticut state university system and the 12 community colleges during the global economic recession. It’s going to make it hard for people to get a higher education if the tuition and fees go up.  It will drive people away from the Connecticut state university system and the 12 community college system when they see the new sticker price and the cost of attending college in Connecticut. With the potential for tuition increase, that alone will make people consider getting their education elsewhere because they can’t afford to attend college in Connecticut.

It dose make you wonder and consider, can you afford to attend a public college in Connecticut with the potential raise in tuition that they are talking about. Maybe for me, it’s time to consider going out of state for college where the cost is cheaper and less expensive than the cost in state. Looking at this potential for a tuition increase may make me consider going to a private college or out of state college.  Maybe what Connecticut needs to do is clean house at the Connecticut state university system and the 12 community college system before it raises tuition.

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A Taste of the Campus Greek life

Tonight on campus I had a very interesting evening. I got to see what a campus Greek life is about. I got to see what a fraternity and sorority is all about since coming from a Community College background, a fraternity and sorority is unheard of in Community Colleges and that Community colleges don’t have fraternity and sorority that 4 year universities such as Southern. So tonight I got invited by a friend on campus who is in a fraternity to see what fraternity and sorority life is like at Southern Connecticut State University.

It was interesting to say the least. I got to see different fraternity and sororities on campus and got to meet people. What I saw is like a tight knit social and academic groups on campus. What stood me out about Greek life and the fraternity and sorority on campus is that I have never seen one and coming from a Community college background, I never experienced Greek life or fraternity and sorority life as well. So this was all new to me as well and a cultural shock for me, because I never been in a fraternity or a sorority on a college campus.

One thing that stuck in the back of my mind  about Rushing into Greek life and with the fraternity and sorority, is that being born an intersex person where do I fit into Campus Greek life and the fraternity and sorority system. I was wondering and thinking about this while walking back to my dorm and wondered where dose and Intersex person like me fit into the Campus fraternity and sorority system. It’s something I am thinking about and wondering cause I have friends on campus who are in a fraternity and sorority and I wonder where do I fit in.

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Enrollment Increases Pose Huge Challenge To Community Colleges – Courant.com

Enrollment Increases Pose Huge Challenge To Community Colleges – Courant.com.

This is why I got out of Community colleges and transferred to Southern Connecticut state University. I knew the warning signs that this was going to happen and that the State’s community colleges are going to be filled to max capacity. On top of that If i stayed at the community college, I would still be a Freshman at a Part time level and not a Sophomore at the State Universities. I also think that if the state of Connecticut knew this was going to happen. They should have funded more space for community college. Heck, they could even buy the old empty store fronts and turn them to another community college campus. I even think that the state should at least offer more Online classes and hybrid classes where they meet in class and online as well.

The reason why everyone in America is going back to college and especially community college, is that the job market is in a recession and the economy is not looking good in America. People in America are laid off and out of work. So they head back to college to get trained on a new job and to get job skills that will make them marketable in the 21st century. That’s why Community colleges around the country are filled to max capacity and that it keeps going up year after year. I pretty much think that it goes up by 10% every semester.  That’s why you see people applying early, registering early and even taking classes year round including in the summer. I have even seen some take online classes either year round or in the summer time.

This is why I believe the states and federal government should should fund higher education if people are continuing to lose their jobs and  looking to go back to college to get trained for new skills and try to make themselves look good in the job market. I also think that states should look at funding more online classes and even look at buying old facilities and turning them into community college campuses or even higher education centers. The way I see it, If community college continue to fill up year and year. States are going to have to make a choice and figure out how to accommodate everyone to the community college.

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Lessons learned of a University student.

Okay folks, I survived one year at Southern Connecticut State University.  It was filled with challenges, set backs and a long transition from one mind set to another. I survived the first year as a University student I knew my transition from a Community College student to a University student would be very long and very rough. I learned a couple of lessons on what it takes from being a Community college student to a University Student and I believe it’s all about the mindset and mentality.  It’s different mindset from being a Community College Student to a University Student because academically, and socially, things are very different and each has it’s own mindset on how things are done.

One of the first things I learned about being a University student, is that academically, things are very different from a Community College. You literally have to change from being a Community College to a University student from the very first day you step on campus. The mindset academically is different because your challenged more in the University classes versus the Community Colleges. You have to work a lot harder than you in the Community colleges and you have to really study your butt off as well. In the University, you have to put more time into your classes than you do in the Community Colleges. Even your grades are different because you have to work a lot harder to for your grades and you literally can not go any lower than a C-. The lesson in all this is that academically, I thought I was really read from a Community College student standpoint, but realized now that I was caught naked and unprepared for what the University expected out of me academically.

Even with my transition from a Community College student to a University student, I thought I had a very smooth transition and I thought I was fully prepared for the University level education. I didn’t realize that things are very different because when you started at the Community college, you are taught their mindset and not the mindset of the University level. When I transferred to the University. I was in for a shock and that I had to change my mindset right then and their. What I learned from all this is that my transition from a Community College student to a University student was very rough and that I feel that I will fully transition to the University mindset by the end of this year. The lesson in all this is that you have to be fully prepared, academically and mentally for the University that you plan on transferring to.

As far as social wise, I had to readjust on the fly because I learned that things are different from a community college to the University on a social level. That is because, being that I came from a Community college, they had no social activities for community college students. That was because because the nature of the community college is that people work full or part time while going to school. So they don’t have time for all the social activities in the Community College. When I came to the University, I was blown away by the fact that they had social activities and things you can do in the evening. Such as join social clubs, sports, intramural or work out in the gym and swimming pool. The sad part was that I never took part in any social clubs or even worked out in the gym that was offered in the University because I was still on that Community College mindset. The lesson in all this is that you break the mold of the community college and go with the flow with what the University has to offer for you. I should have taken advantage of and joined clubs, sports team or social clubs on campus. My plan for this fall coming up is to take advantage of all the sports teams out their and join some social and academic clubs as well.

Now living on campus was one of my biggest challenges that I had to face, because I never lived on campus in a Dorm and I never had to deal with Roommates. That was because being that I came from Community College, I always commuted to my classes and commuted back home. When I moved on campus at Southern Connecticut State University, I was overwhelmed because I had all the freedom and independence from my folks and that I was able to do things that I would not normally do at home. On top of that I had roommates and in my first semester, I had good roommates to deal with. Then in my Last semester, I had bad roommates to deal with and as a result I was easily stressed out by them. What was really nice about living on campus, is that I didn’t have to commute and I always hated commuting to school. Living on campus, I didn’t have to commute to class and I didn’t have to lug everything for the day. So what I learned, is that I enjoyed living on campus and I didn’t even have to commute to class.

The final thing I have to say personally is that you really have to prepare for things on campus. Such as knowing that you really need rain boots on campus if you live on the North Campus and your class is in Engleman hall and you have to walk in the Rain. Walking to class in the rain and with your sneakers is very bad and it soaks your sneakers. The other is to have a very big Umbrella and a very good waterproof rain coat as well. Even in the Wintertime, you needed a good pair of winter boots to keep your feet warm when walking around campus. I know having a good pair of UGGS will keep your feet warm in the winter time. Also to keep in touch with what’s going around on campus, you really need to have a cell phone or a smart phone with Text messaging or instant messaging because Universities like to notify people of incidents and events via text messaging and instant messaging. So it pays to have a phone that let’s you text message and get IM’s from the University.

Overall, I had a rough transition from a community college to a University student. I was caught naked and was half prepared for the University education and socially, not prepared for what a university student is suppose to do. So now that I am off for the summer, I plan to prepare myself mentally and academically for the University and I plan to fully transition from a community college student mindset to a University student by the end of the Year. I should be academically at the level of the University by the end of the year.

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