Is there anything wrong with attending a community college? I know the famous advice is not to care what people think about you, but that’s just it. Since certain family members believe they know it all, they have quite a reaction when I tell them what college I’ll be attending.

My parents had to be very persuasive to get me even to consider a two-year school. Both attended a community college and have great jobs. Neither has a Ph.D. or M.D. but I know one doctor who first went to a community college and then transferred to Tufts University. This particular doctor made a very smart move not to overwhelm himself with taking the SAT in order to go to a four-year school. Not to mention that he saved a lot of money by only paying for two years of a private four-year education. Community college is much less expensive than four-year colleges. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure many scholarships are awarded to hard-working seniors. If someone absolutely wanted to get into one of those Ivy League schools chances are he or she might be able to. But one little secret I’ve found is that those students have a minimum of six hours of homework every day plus an additional three hours for their major and various projects. I’d venture to bet that these students, after the first two months of school, are stressed out to no end. Sure, high school is stressful at times, but not all the time.

So, I’m going to Manchester Community College to study what intrigues me most, and I can say it in one word: surgery. Yes, I’m attending a community college to pursue my dream of living life in the operating room. Speaking of competition, this program for surgical technologists was by far the most competitive thing I ever dreamed of. I was the first one out of 24 to be accepted. Twenty-four students are not a lot. I’m glad because I’ll be working at what I like. And massive motivation is something I have so it will make my college experience easier and more fun. I do plan to transfer to a four-year school after I obtain my associate’s degree in surgical technology, but first, it’s community college for me.