A junior college, or community college as it is more commonly called, is a school that you attend for your first two years of college. You take the same classes there as you would at any 4-year institution and you then have the opportunity to transfer to a 4-year school for your third and fourth year. The degree you complete at a junior college is called an associate’s degree, and it is basically your ticket to a bigger school, where you will then finish up your bachelor’s degree. Your courses from junior college will transfer over to your second school, so that you will still be on track to graduate in fours years like everyone else.
There are several advantages to starting off your college career at a junior college. The biggest one of all is the price. Community colleges are significantly cheaper than 4-year universities, so that it will allow you to save quite a bit of money. On top of that, it can be a great place to improve as an athlete or student, which will then allow you to end up at a much better school for the last two years of your degree. Very often athletes make the mistake of pushing for a 4-year school straight away, even though their athletic or academic resume is probably better suited for a junior college. And as mentioned above, the junior college route might open up some much better possibilities after your two years, as you most likely will have improved both as a student and as an athlete.
We at Sports & Study USA are big supporters of the junior college option and have sent numerous athletes down this path before. It really tends to work out very well and typically gives you a better shot at a good degree or playing for your dream college team. And don’t worry, it will not affect your degree in any negative way, as you will still graduate in four years and you will receive your bachelor’s degree from the school where you finished, not where you started!