When all of my friends start their fall semester in college, I will not be headed to Austin or downtown. I will be much closer to home. I will be attending a community college.

I choose to attend a community college because it was a more economical and convenient choice for me. I am happy with my choice, but when adults ask where I am going for college, I see a look of disapproval cross their face making me feel like there is something wrong with attending a community college. I think community college is just as good as a university when it comes to early education and taking basic classes.

The level of education provided at Lone Star is up to par with major universities. Class sizes at Lone Star are smaller in comparison to other four-year universities. With smaller class sizes, teaching becomes more individualized; a deeper understanding of the material taught is achieved through smaller class sizes.

The same classes that every student needs at four-year colleges are offered at community colleges and the credits can be transferred to most major universities. On average, the cost of one credit hour at University of Houston is $300, while the same credit hour at Lone Star is $88. If one takes the standard 15 hours per a semester, the savings per semester amount to over $3,000.

There should not be a stigma surrounding high school graduates going to a community college. Unfortunately there is.  Heading into the fall semester, I will have to try and not feel like I am not living up to expectations that people have because I am not attending a four-year university.  However, the credits I earn at Lone Star, I plan on transferring to a major university. It will take some time to get there, but in the end, all I want to do is make people proud by attending college, even if it is a community college.