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Community College Students Struggle to Get Into Required Classes

Community College Students Struggle to Get Into Required Classes
2/10/2011
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Suada Kolovic

Have you ever tried to sign up for a class that was full? Maybe it was a class that sparked your interest or one you heard was life altering. What about a class that you needed to graduate, one that you’ve attempted to register for, for the third time no less, and are consistently met with: class is full! Well, you’re not alone. And community colleges are dealing with overcrowding more often than universities. According to a national survey released Wednesday, one in five community college students had a difficult time getting into at least one course that they needed and almost a third, especially Hispanic students, could not get into a class that they wanted.

The national “Community College Student Survey,” which the Pearson Foundation calls the first-ever of its kind, asked 1,434 community college students about what they identified as factors that impede success, as well as the supports needed to help foster success. The respondents noted that problems with the professor or the course topped the list of reasons for dropping a class (61 percent). About 5 percent of students had dropped out during the first few weeks of the semester and 10 percent had seriously considered doing so. The students who considered dropping out – a whopping 20 percent – said they could not get the help they needed, while 66 percent of students surveyed said it is "extremely or very important to have access to academic advisors and to establish relationships with professors" in order to succeed in college. Do you agree with the survey’s findings?

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