   Is community college a danger to me?
  Do employers see community college as a blemish on the experience of an applicant?The campus I attend is rather informal, and instructors are very lenient on students.[Edited by - zyrolasting on May 22, 2010 10:54:55 PM]
  From my understandings school doesn't count as experience at all, so I don't see community college as any sort of a blemish.   ;  It shouldn't be a blemish as long as you don't come off as someone who thinks their 2 years in community college taught them everything. Its true that there may be some stigma, and we should be realistic that you're going to be competing against people with many people with 2, 4 or 6+ years at a traditional school -- likewise, be realistic that a community college education essentially mandates how far up the ladder you can start, and how much harder you may have to work to get up the ladder -- just as a BSc holder should be realistic about their prospects relative to an MSc holder. To some degree, everyone starts of lower down the ladder than where their employers expect them to wind up, but how much lower is largely a function of their educational/professional background.Make some cool demos and be eager to learn -- it would be best if your stint at community college is a stepping stone to university, but that's not in the cards for everyone. Try to take what you learn there with a grain of salt, many community colleges are glorified high schools for adults (and often that last point is debatable for much of the student body). Go beyond what they teach you, don't just do the minimum to get by. Read and practice as much as you can on your own, and try to learn which teachers actually know what they're talking about, and aren't just people who washed out of the industry 10 years back -- which, from the few community colleges I've visited (where friend's attend or whatever) seems far more common than it should be -- not to scare you off necessarily, as one of the most effective math teachers I've witnessed also taught at one of the same community colleges.;  Assuming they are accredited, they are treated the same way as other college or university education.  It is not a blemish.If they offer an associates/bachelors degree in computer science, then the degree is just fine.  It is not treated differently than the same degree from a different institution.It is very common to get an associates degree or general education at a (less expensive) community college, and then transfer to a (more expensive) university to finish your program.   ;  Thank you for the very informative (and comforting [smile]) replies! The pace was just very slow, and I felt like I was missing something.   ;Quote:Original post by zyrolastingThank you for the very informative (and comforting [smile]) replies! The pace was just very slow, and I felt like I was missing something.You are, but you're also paying a fraction of the tuition. Employers understand this, and as long as you transition to a 4 year university it shouldn't be a problem.   ;  A college degree is just an institution saying: We endorse/back this person.   So a degree is as good as reputation of the institution(whether they're accredited or not).The only way any sort of training would be a blemish is if you think it's good enough and can "stop".   ;Quote:Original post by lithosThe only way any sort of training would be a blemish is if you think it's good enough and can "stop".or if they're teaching you poorly.If you're thinking of going to a 4 year after community college, there's no reason you even need the community college on your resume. Even after that, if you have a solid portfolio and some work experience you might not even need it on there.I'd worry more about making a good portfolio than where you go to school. You'll end up spending enough time to make a great portfolio centerpiece just wondering if your school is good enough.   