Get the basics for an
academic major
Pearl River College's
main academic purpose is the core curriculum. In order to graduate
from a four year college or university, each student must take basic courses:
history, science, mathematics, English, sociology, etc. These are
"core" or basic classes, and they are required for any major. PRCC
is a great place to take these basic classes because of the smaller class
sizes, nearness to home and cost.
Get on the fast track
to a great career
Some students are not
interested in going for 4 or more years to obtain a degree. Instead,
they opt for a fast track to employment. Pearl River Community College
offers courses in many technical fields that qualify the student for immediate
employment after a two year associate's degree is obtained. Other
skills are taught in the careers division that allow a student to attend
for as little as a year and receive a certificate that enables him or her
to get a job in the building, service, or metal working trades. From
jobs like dental assisting and radiological technology to computer servicing
or licensed practical nursing, the community college will offer the skills
and education necessary to pass licensing exams for employment in their
chosen field.
Get the most qualified
instructors
Pearl River Community
College's instructors are first rate. They are required to hold a
master's degree with at least 20 additional hours in their specific field.
At many universities and four year colleges, instruction is actually carried
out by a graduate student "practicing" to teach. These practice teachers
are, of course, under the sometimes watchful eye of a qualified instructor,
but the actual teaching is done by people far less qualified in their field
than is allowed at a community college. No "student assistants" teach
freshmen or sophomore classes at PRCC. For this reason, universities
and colleges welcome transfer credits from Pearl River Community College.
Get the most bang for
the buck
Tuition for a public
four year institution can range from almost $4,500 to more than $30,000
per year. That compares to the same, or, in some cases, a better
education at Pearl River Community College for less than $1,700 per year.
Get that 'personal touch'
Many 4 year colleges
and universities put basic course classes into large groups, and class
size can be as many as 300 students per class. The average student,
who is accustomed to individual attention in high school, can be swallowed
up by these huge university classes. It's easy to get lost in the
shuffle. That isn't the case at a community college. Most classes
are made up of less than 25 students and never more than 30. This
means that the highly educated instructor has more time to spend with each
individual student. Many expensive private colleges stress small
class size as the major reason for attending their school, yet PRCC has
always held to the small class size, but with a greatly reduced tuition.
In essence, the student who attends Pearl River Community College is getting
the same individualized instruction as the more expensive private school,
but for much less money.
Get on the starting line
Pearl River Community
College offers a smoother transition from high school to college life than
does the 4 year college or university. The administrators at Pearl
River College really care about the individual student and the student's
success. Most colleges and universities leave it up to the student
concerning class attendance. This is a major factor contributing
to student failure. PRCC has a mandatory attendance policy that requires
students to meet class, steering the student toward success and establishing
a healthy habit of attendance that carries over into university life and
into the work life after graduation.
This is one reason PRCC
students do consistently better in university studies than the students
who began as freshmen at the university. Statistics bear this out.
A survey conducted in February 1998 by the Director of Research and Planning
for the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges showed that PRCC
students finished their education with a higher overall grade point average
than students who began in a university.
