Caroline Rhoads
The Communicator

On June 20th, students who have completed their program requirements will have the opportunity to graduate and move on to greater things. Still others will be sticking around to complete degrees, and figure out where they really want to go.
According to Jo Fyfe, a retired art instructor who does part time counseling at SFCC, community colleges are an excellent place for students to explore career options and start pursuing their passions.
One reason students might choose community college over a four-year to begin with is the costs. A full time student (12 credit) at SFCC pays about $1,163.16 for tuition per quarter compared to around $5,698 for a semester at WSU, according to the websites for each campus.
It can even be advantageous to stay an extra year to pick up degree requirements.
“I’m gonna stay and do my chem series,”  Meghin Salmon, a pre-med student who has the option to stay another year, or move on as a junior, said. “I’ll lose a couple credits here, but it’s worth it.”
Some students, like Sarah Brown, know exactly where they want to go next. “I’m getting my AA, but I’m planning on going into recreational therapy and then I will be transferring to Eastern,” Brown said.
“If you have a passion and you know what you want to do then go for it,” Fyfe said.
Doing job shadows can be a great way to be sure that you know what you’re getting into. Randee Matthews, an SFCC student who just finished job shadowing at KHQ said “it helped me see myself in that position, and to know that I really wanted to be a reporter.”
Others still aren’t sure where they are going. Getting a liberal arts degree offers a good chance for exploration. “I’m getting my AA because it gives me a lot of opportunities and it will buy me more time to figure out what I want to do,” SFCC student Hillary Cerda said.
Students who depend on financial aid should be aware, however, of new rules that may affect funding.
“They used to give you a little more chance to explore,” Fyfe said. Now, students can be put on a “too-many-credits hold” if they have completed more than 125% of the total number of credits needed for their declared degree, according to the SFCC website.