There is so much pressure being exerted on today’s youth about where they will attend college after they graduate from high school, and for some reason it’s been stigmatized that going to community college right after is sub par.

Personally, I was embarrassed to explain why I was attending community college. I felt it was expected of me to attend a four year university immediately, but I failed my third year of math in high school, which disqualified me from any of the four year colleges that I was accepted to.

What some people might not realize is, there are many circumstances that prohibit all different types of students from attending a four year institution immediately after high school. Money, grades, family life, and loads of other situations make it too hard for a student to commit themselves to a four year college.

Going to a community college takes the pressure off of students who aren’t certain of what major to choose. It’s a life changing decision, and it’s unfortunate that young people, like myself, feel rushed to make it.

The tuition fee at Skyline College for one unit is $46 ($272 for six units) according to their website. At San Francisco State University, the tuition fee for a student taking zero to six units is $1,587, according to their website.

That means if a student takes six units at SF State, they will end up paying almost six times the amount that they would pay at Skyline College. This doesn’t include the various other fees that students are required to pay for every semester either.

At this point, it just makes makes more sense for a student to take general education courses at a community college, especially if they’re unsure of what major to declare in. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 80 percent of students change their major before graduation.

It’s hard enough for some students to decide what major to stick with, but an even bigger issue can be figuring out what to do with a degree in the specified field. Time is the only remedy that can allow a student to be fully comfortable when making decisions like these.

Even when a student admits their attendance at a community college, the follow up question they have to answer is usually going to be, “Where are you transferring afterwards?”

This results in the idea that there will always be pressure revolving around education, although it’s good that this factor exists. However, it can be overwhelming to students, especially for the general college age group.

Instead of asking vague questions about where someone might attend school, people should ask students about what fuels their motivation for attendance. This is much more thought provoking and enlightening for the younger generation that might not have been thinking about it beforehand.