Study Overseas

At a community college, can you "get a life?" You bet. Many community college students are surprised to discover that campus life is rich and busy, even on "commuter" campuses that don't have residential halls. Rarely does a day go by at most community colleges without a performance, lecture or athletic competition. Activities range from the offbeat to the highbrow, and for many students, the social and extra-curricular aspect of their college experience is as important as their academic program.

Students at SUNY Rockland Community College in New York State spent part of their spring break organizing a food drive and delivering food baskets to needy families.

Student government provides an important opportunity for leadership. These groups typically oversee budgets of as much as US$1 million comprised of student fees, making important decisions about allocations. Student leaders serve as liaisons to campus administration and hone their leadership skills at town meetings, student senate retreats and college board meetings.

Athletics are an integral part of community college life. Teams compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association and other regional groups in sports for men and women. Men's teams usually include soccer, basketball, tennis, baseball, golf and bowling; women's teams are fielded in softball, basketball, tennis, volleyball, and bowling.

Most colleges have modern weight and fitness centers, swimming pools and other athletic facilities where students can stay physically fit and have fun.

Young Mbagaya, a SUNY Rockland student from Kenya, discovered that soccer was not only a way to exercise his body, but also to connect with a diverse group of team-mates and to discover his own leadership potential. "The great thing about becoming co-captain of the soccer team is that being in the role of a leader motivates you to be a better person, to be somebody who can inspire other people." In fact, Young went on to become president of the Student Government Association. "Once you unite the group of people, you achieve more; the fruits are even better."

Students looking for a creative outlet can join performing arts groups or student publications. The Campus Players at SUNY Rockland present several shows each year, including a yearly outdoor summer Shakespeare festival.

Off-campus adventures are a popular feature of student life. This fall, a group of students from Broward Community College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, went on a leadership retreat to Lake Placid, Florida, where they participated in a group activities designed to foster teamwork and the leadership abilities. One activity even involved breaking a wooden board in half by hand or foot.

Many community college students travel to various locations in the US on house-building trips with Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit housing ministry. Students join people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need.

The proximity of many community colleges to major cultural centers provides a major advantage for students interested in the arts. The Art Club at SUNY Rockland visits major museums and galleries in nearby Manhattan, and recently went to Storm King Art Center to view outdoor installations of monumental sculpture by Alexander Calder and other great artists in the magnificent setting of the in the Hudson River Highlands.

Sometimes students just need to unwind, and community colleges provide opportunities for that too. On San Antonio College, students "let it all hang out" at the bi-monthly Karaoke Madness! At Stress-Out Day, held near the end of each semester, students expend their energy and get a good laugh when amusement-park like attractions such as sumo wrestling, rock climbing, bouncy boxing, gladiator joust, and human bowling come to campus.

Community colleges offer clubs catering to every conceivable interest and ethnicity. At City College of San Francisco in California, for example, the list of clubs includes: African Americans Changing Times; Asian Music Club; German Club; Chinese Cultural Club; Cantonese Youth Fellowship; Club Indian; Club Italiano; Forensic Science Club; Japanese Cultural Club; Myanmar Club; Swing City Dancers; Garden Club; Vietnamese Club and Women United.

At SUNY Rockland, over 30 clubs include Amnesty International, Biology Club, Chess Club, Christian Fellowship, Debate Team, Engineering Club, Haitian Club, Hillel, Student Nurses, Youth for Opera and more.

Cultural celebrations on campus provide a glimpse into another ethnicity. Many community colleges celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Intercultural Festival, Holocaust Remembrance Week, Women's History Month, and African American History Month, for example. At these commemorations, students can view the re-creation of an African slave ship, join discussions about the media view of Hispanics, listen to first-hand testimony of Holocaust survivors, play chess against a Grandmaster and more.

Meeting people of different backgrounds proves to be an enlightening experience for most community college students. "I used to have a specific group of friends of a specific ethnic background, but since I came here, my group of friends has diversified, thanks to the great diversity in this college," said Arius.

Jana Janko, a SUNY Rockland graduate now enrolled at St. George's Medical School, encourages students to get involved in life beyond the classroom. "The experience you get from college is what you put into it. Yes, you can be that commuter that comes to school, goes to class and then runs off campus as quickly as possible. Or you can be that student that puts the word 'community' into community college, and you can really get the most out of your experience."