By Israel Ramirez |Staff Writer|

While many students are eligible to attend a four-year university after finishing high-school, students should choose to attend a two-year first.

According to the CSUSB financial aid office website, it will cost a total of $23,607 to attend and live at the university per year.

On the other hand, according to campusexplorer.com, it would only cost $3,079 to attend Riverside Community College (RCC).

The price gap is far from unnoticeable for a student who just graduated high-school.

Community college is a great alternative to avoid large amounts of debt while also preparing yourself in an environment that I think is better than a four-year college.

“I think starting at a two-year has helped me learn at my own pace while also giving me a taste of what a four-year is like. It has really helped me to not rush into an career path that I may have been unsure about,” said student Getzemany Garcia.

I feel that individuals who attend a two-year have more self-determination and take education more seriously because they cannot get all the required classes on time.

I am not depreciating the hard work of the students who chose to attend a four-year; me being one of those students, I understand that maintaining grades was also very important.

“The thing I like about community college is that I think I learned more; I absorbed more information. Maybe it’s because it was a semester system, but regardless, something about going there after high-school made it easier for me to really take my time and not be forced to pick a major, or choose a direction – like most of my friends,” stated CSUSB alumnus Heather Rundengan

Although a two-year takes longer than two years to complete, it gives you enough time to pick what you want to study while you complete your general education.

In my first year at CSUSB, I had a professor who told the entire class that if we were attending the university as undeclared majors, we were all wasting our time. And the thing is, no college students should be forced to pursue a major that they do not enjoy, or think that they can progress in just because someone tells them that they are wasting their time in college.

If you have the funds to cover the debt that a four-year college will bring to you, even with an undecided major, then by all means, go ahead and do so.

However, to consider attending a community college while undecided might be the better decision for many.Both routes are great, nonetheless. They each offer a different experience, especially straight out of high-school.

“I learned a lot in my time at CSUSB, but I owe it to my time in community college to help me prepare with the challenges I face in Cal State University San Bernardino,” added Rundengan.

“Going to a community college after high-school not only saved me a bunch of money, but gave me time to grow and process ‘adulthood’,” concluded Rundengan.