Howard Community College

Date: Apr 23 2009
Major: Design Arts - Industrial Design/Graphic Design/etc (This Major's Salary over time)
Although community colleges often get a bad rap, HCC is an example of one gone right—the faculty so far have been accessible and willing to discuss work, the campus is small but clean and well-kept, and the facilities are pretty nice, too. It's a commuter school, so naturally there aren't tons of social events. However, there's a big focus on getting you into good transfer schools.

As a returning student, I find the former high schoolers kind of, well… they're teenagers: high-strung, a little neurotic, and obviously a little unfinished and awkward (that's what college is for, I guess). There are also quite a few adult students, however, and they're out to either learn and have fun or focused on bettering themselves. In fact, they're often the most serious in the classroom.

I was really impressed by the friendliness of the staff (one lady tapped me on the shoulder to warn me about a wet floor instead of sullenly glaring at me!) and the care they put into the art rooms. The area is also fairly nice—it's in Columbia, which was one of the best places to live in the U.S. There's a mall nearby to grab food, although there's a campus cafe with cheap prices. It's also right near the Howard County Public Library.

Bottom line: For the price you're paying, definitely worth it.