Everyone hates on going to community college coming out of high school, but honestly going to Bucks was one of the smartest choices I've ever made. Here's why:
AFFORDABLE - I paid off each semester easily. If you live in the county, a year of college at Bucks is only going to cost you more or less 4,000 dollars.
SAME PREREQS- As long as you do the research to make sure every class you take is transferable, taking your prerequisites here is the same as taking your prerequisites elsewhere. The only difference is about 10-12,000 dollars. Saving that much moolah sounds pretty damn good to me.
STUDENT TO TEACHER RATIO - The student to teacher ratio is pretty small. It usually looks something like 19:1, though I'm not exactly sure what the ratio truly is. Individualized attention is not hard to come across. The classes are not insanely large, especially at the Perkasie campus.
GREAT PROFESSORS - I've had some of the most awesome and involved professors at Bucks. Randolph Quinby was my favorite...he teaches Humanities courses. Take one of his classes; you won't be disappointed.
CLASSES FOR FULL TIME WORKERS - There are tons of options for night classes, online classes, and hybrid classes (half online, half in school) that are designed specifically for hard working people with a busy schedule. Of these three options, I prefer night classes. They are from 6 to 9:30 at night with a break at around 7:30/8. The professors understand a busy schedule and, as long as you put genuine effort into the class, they will understand if something comes up (late night shift at work; kids sick; etc).
CUTE CAMPUS - Yes, the Perkasie campus is wimpy wimpy wimpy. But it's just so...CUTE!!! The two buildings are located in a Giant shopping plaza. And I don't mean giant as in the size; I mean it's literally located right next to the supermarket Giant. I like it though; big campuses always intimidated me. There's a cafe called Down to Earth Cafe in the plaza where a lot of students will go before or after class.
TRANSFER AGREEMENT PROGRAMS - Many of Pennsylvania's state schools have a transfer agreement program with Bucks. I know from personal experience that Penn State Abington will grant you a 1000 dollar scholarship if you graduate with your associates from Bucks and transfer to their campus. There are a ton more options too.
ADVISORS - Let's be honest: advisors want you in and out of the program just as much as you want to be in and out of the program. The advisors will do their job to get you into the classes you need and help you graduate as soon as possible, and advising slots are always open.
So I obviously have a slight obsession with this school, but it's only because I'm sick of hearing everyone bash it! Bucks County is an amazing area in the state to live in, and the community school is a good one! (And much better than Montco, I've heard ;]). Definitely don't rule out a community college for the sole reason that it is a community college. It's a great choice in the long run and I promise you won't regret going here!! :) Cheers to Bucks Perkasie.
WARNING: The fact that Bucks is a community college does not take away from the difficulty of its astronomy class. IT'S A TRAP! It's not all about pretty stars...it's actually really difficult, and the professor was hardcore!!! There were 11 people in my astronomy class initially, and we ended up with 4 left. I was one of the last ones standing, but I barely passed with a "C." There was another girl who was a straight-A senior at Kutztown University who had been putting off her science credit. She took the same class I did and she barely made it out alive as well. Don't underestimate a community college's courses. read more
