5 Myths About Community Colleges

This myth is a tough one. With all the other myths we’ve been talking about, it’s easy to reveal facts that dispute them, uncover opposing perspectives, or show how the myth doesn’t apply to community college. But the belief that you can’t do well in college is a deeply personal thing. If you believe this, there’s almost certainly a story that led you there. And there are as many versions of that story as there are people. You may see yourself in some common versions, but we should recognize that to unchain yourself from this myth, your personal details are the most important part. It’s such an individualized situation that the best strategy is to tell your story to someone who has the tools to help at the college you’d like to attend. Green River College has plenty of friendly, caring people in a various roles ready to listen and help. But more on them later. Many people who believe this myth have some things in common. 

– Past Performance in School: Maybe you didn’t get the grades you wanted, or certain subjects were tough. As we’ll talk about later, past performance doesn’t dictate your future success. Many students find their stride in the supportive, flexible environment of a community college. 

– Haters Gonna’ Hate: Sometimes Negative comments or how people treat us have a way of sticking with us in subtle, but lasting ways. And they can have a way of distorting how we think about our true abilities. 

But what made them an expert on you? Only you get to hold that title, and your story’s not over. Colleges everywhere are full of students who denied the bad hype and went on to do great things. 

– First Generation Student: Being the first in your family to go to college creates a special set of uncertainties that can be hard to list or measure. You might not think you have what it takes to succeed simply because you’ve never been able to see what success looks like in the up-close way family members can provide. Leading your family into college can be a profound and satisfying experience, but the challenges of being first are real and need real solutions. Green River College loves first generation students. We even have a department that can get you extra support and community if you are one!  

– Measuring up: Maybe you arrived at this myth from the opposite direction. Perhaps there was a family member or close friend in your circle that succeeded academically. When their way of achieving that didn’t work out for you, it looked like evidence that success wasn’t in your makeup. But intelligence comes in many forms and is found on many paths. So not only is this an unfair comparison, it’s also probably inaccurate. You have a set of experiences and conditions that are unique to only you. That will give you unique struggles, but you also get unique strengths. Success will come from finding and getting good at using them. 

So how do you go about finding your unique path to success? Again, the way will be very personal. But here’s one good starting point: 

No matter how you got here, this myth only has power because of another myth: “if you’re not born smart, you’ll never be smart”. 

This can lead to the feeling that wherever you are academically, it’s a part of your identity. It’s hard to break free of how we define ourselves, even if that definition is holding us back.  

But a growing amount of research is revealing that this is hogwash. Advances in neuroscience are showing that intelligence isn’t a fixed thing. Studies on a process called brain plasticity has shown that students who approach learning through a growth mindset not only improve their learning outcomes, they’re also forming new neural pathways to strengthen their overall brain power.  

A growth mindset involves believing that your abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, hard work, and learning from feedback. That last part speaks to the heart of why this myth is wrong. It recognizes that “failure” is just a required step to growth, not a moment that defines you. Think of it like hiking on your favorite trails. As you apply effort, not only do you walk up the mountain (or pass that test), but your muscles (or physical brain) also become better equipped for the next summit. The point is that wherever you are academically, that’s not your destiny, it’s just you at the start of a new trail. 

You might be thinking this sounds like that “power of positive thinking” junk self-help gurus have been selling for ages. Taken on its own, you’re mostly right. The hard truth is that adopting a “growth mindset” is not a miracle tool to fix all your challenges. It’s just what you get to bring to the process. If you find yourself feeling like Myth #4 tells the truth about you, we all have to recognize you got there for reasons that didn’t magically appear in your “attitude”. You got there because forces in your environment supported your limitations more than your potential. No human can get out of that alone. At Green River College you won’t be alone. We’re known for having friendly and supportive people who all work together to help students grow and achieve their goals. 

The whole concept of community college is that it's a place for everyone to get a higher education. GRC truly means it when we say we’ll meet you where you are on your educational journey. We’ve built a whole league of teams to pair with your growth mindset and help you reach your summit:  

You might still be in high school – We've got programs for that.  

• Running Start 
• College in the High School 

You might not have finished high school – GRC has several teams to help you bridge that gap. 

• Open Doors 
• High School Completion 
• GED prep 
• IBEST  

Maybe you started college, but life interrupted before you could finish – Those credits you earned will almost certainly still move you forward. 

• Past GRC Credits
• Transfer Credits

Maybe you just had trouble in the past with some subjects – It’s time to give it another try with some extra help! 

• Tutoring and Resources 

If you’re a first-generation student, all of these teams know how to help clarify the uncertainty you might have. One in particular is designed to help: 

• TRiO