Ironically, despite their name, community colleges are often stereotyped as lacking community. This stereotype is especially perpetuated when compared to the enormous social culture commonly associated with the four-year college experience.
However, while only less than five miles from the UIUC campus, Parkland College thrives on providing resources that make being involved in student life socially and academically worthwhile.
Why Attend a Community College?
After speaking with some of the students here at Parkland alongside Jorgi Jones, our student life activities and conduct coordinator, it is safe to say that Parkland accommodates a diverse set of needs, many of which are mostly exclusive to community college.
Referring to Jones’s beliefs on why she thinks students like Parkland, she said, “I believe a lot of students like that Parkland is a smaller campus, and they can interact with their professors more and have that one-on-one connection.” Following this, she said, “Since it is a smaller community, you are bound to see faces more than once, and I feel like students are more able to make connections and develop friendships.”
Student Katy Lassy shares that same sentiment. She says that when she has a great professor, her classes are “really engaging” and that the smaller class sizes allow “the students to get to know each other, ask each other things and build study groups.”
What makes a community meaningful is not just the number of people; it is putting the community in a position to thrive by providing quality and diverse resources, regardless of the number of members.
Ways Parkland Fosters a Positive Student Life
As mentioned above, size should not determine how impactful a community can be. Instead, it is about how a community’s facilitators and assets meet the needs of its members.
Jones shared how Parkland follows through with this idea, saying, “We provide the wellness center, the food pantry, and … activities, we try to make sure they are diverse and inclusive … [as well as] trying to do a variety of different things ranging from pumpkin painting to karaoke, just giving opportunities for students to express themselves.”
For student Darianyellis Medina, a highlight of her participation in student life comes from Parkland’s free counseling workshops. She says that she feels they are “actually helpful,” discussing topics such as “time management, stress, anxiety, ADHD and how to find out about more resources at Parkland like the counseling center and tutoring.”
Medina further elaborates that Parkland’s resources are one of the major reasons she feels happy with her decision to attend Parkland, saying, “I do feel like Parkland does offer resources when you need help, like tutoring, and that is something that a lot of us need, the fact that they offer it, are so open about it, promoting it so much, makes it feel more welcome and open to actually reach out for it.”
Making the Most Out of Your College Experience
While Parkland has many resources and opportunities, it is no secret that many view community college as a place to get a degree and leave quickly. Hence, much of the reason for the stereotype of community college lacking community.
However, that is still time spent, and just like many things in life, you get what you put in. So make the most of your time, learn about and use Parkland’s resources, challenge yourself to meet new people and try new things.
To learn more about the opportunities, resources, and clubs that Parkland offers, be sure to check out the Life at Parkland section at www.parkland.edu and check your student email for any upcoming student life events.
