Which is better Community College or University?

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I'm not talking about academics. I want to know which one is less stressful and gives ASD students more room to think about how to thrive and survive. Right now my son is at a community college. He's quickly going through the classes he can use and needs what the university offers but he thinks he might be overwhelmed by everything at the university. He still has a lot to learn about himself and what works with his temperament. The community college has been a good place for that.

Maybe he'll end up taking every single class the community college offers as he majors in what he really needs the most at the moment- ASD 101.

Community college costs less and offers lots more support, tutoring, accommocations for persons with disabilitiese. Better options for dropping classes if needed. Also, they now have way better systems for doing the first two years at comm college and then being able to transfer more easily to a state school.

I did nursing, which as a major at a community college crams the same amount of info and topics and clinical into 2 yrs as a 4yr college puts into 4 (less theory I guess, but the same other stuff) so more stressful probably. Depends. I think that may be unique among foci in that sense.

Other majors are likely different.

depends on his goal. Does he want the "college experience" with the dorms and the philosophy class and the tree-lined campus, or does he have a specific vocational goal? Can he meet with a career counselor to define the goals and his strengths? Does he want to live at home or try living a bit farther away? I went in the next county over. Just the right amount of freedom and family support still close by.

I hope that helps. Majors and schools can always be changed. Best wishes to you both.

+1 for community colleges.

They also tend to be more laid back and informal compared to some colleges/universities.

However, if you want more than a 2-year degree, sooner or later you'll have to find a good college/university for his needs.

I sent my daughter to community college - she was there for about 3 years. The first year she studied things she liked (art, mostly) and the second two years she went after a degree. It gave her plenty of time to mature (which she needed) and to learn to get herself from point "A" to point "B" without someone having to tell her to do so or to do it with her. She did work-study there, little jobs here and there, that gave her confidence and something more important than the degree studies - a viable resume! She's been working short-term jobs since then, saving up to pay for the rest of her education. (Ok, actually, I didn't "send" her - it is just up the road and they GAVE her money to go there, I just provided room and board.) Thankfully, she has no debts to her name and a little bit in the bank, so now that I see her getting antsy and bored with the 9-5 world I think it'll be easier for her to go back and be serious about finishing up a 4 year (or more) degree in the field(s) of her choice.

Four year schools are fine, if you have the right fit. I work at one that's got over 25,000 students and I wouldn't dream of having my daughter come here just because of the way this campus is organized. Knowing her, she'd do better in a much smaller, personal school. But I've known a few Aspies in my days here and they came and did just fine, and went on to find work (from what I hear).

I also went to community college, many decades ago. I barely functioned there (no support, the diagnosis did not exist at the time), but I did stay for a few years. I then tried a four year school and was ripped to shreds. Was several more decades before I went back and tried it again. It does depend on the university and on the Aspie, though. We're not all cut from the same cookie-cutter. Some of us aren't even cookies.

I go to community college and LOVE IT!

It is very fun and the professors
love to talk. You will never know who will be in your classes.

Which is better? A class with 30 students or a class with 350 students?

Sometimes you have to just go for something and stretch your limits... Otherwise you won't know what you are capable of doing. At least, that's how I've gone through my life.

Granted, I never went to community college. I jumped straight from high school into a large public university, 3000 miles away from home. For me, it was a lifesaver. I was finally able to live my life the way I wanted to. I could have my routines, pursue my interests, and not have my mother breathing down my back. I like my large university because of the inflexibility it has, believe it or not. There are very set requirements for my college's general education, and for my major and minor. It is very organized and clear cut, and there are rules and policies for everything. Because of this, I rarely have to ask people anything, I can just look at stuff and figure it out for myself and if I can't, there's ways I can communicate without having to use a phone or ask people to "change the rules just for me". I hate that. Where I am, I can simply go to classes, communicate with the outside world via email, and study, which is exactly what I need from a school: a place where my interests exist in classes and major requirements, and a set way of doing things.

I am thriving at this school because I can get lost in the shuffle. I know exactly what I need to do in order to do well in my classes (this has always been motivated by me, rather than by my parents who were happy with "did you do your best?" "yes" "then we can't ask for anything more" for low grades/performance.)

Now I am only speaking from my personal experience, because I don't know how to speak about anything else.

My suggestion would be to let your son see if he can attend a local university part-time, and get more involved in the higher level classes. He has been thriving in his community college classes, and obviously wants to learn more. Most universities will have the ability to take courses from them without seeking a full degree, especially if you are not a full-time student. University can be a great thing as a step before full-on independent living, too, if you want to go that route. Dorms are, well, an experience, but having the support to learn living skills is just as important as learning about your subjects. (In my case, I already knew how to cook, clean, and do laundry, etc. but many of my peers didn't.)

Anyhow, this has turned into a rant, but I guess what I want to say is don't hold your son back completely because of your reservations. Give university a try, maybe go slower at first, but it might be a wonderful experience and help him prepare for the rest of his life, while greatly encouraging his interests... for me, there was nothing better.

There's a middle ground between community college and large university: the teaching college. A university usually implies a that it will have a large campus, a research-focus for the tenure-track faculty (with a limited emphasis on teaching), offer graduate and undergraduate programs, and often have larger class sizes, particularly for introductory level courses. Teaching colleges are usually undergraduate only (or with limited graduate programs), often feature small class sizes (< 30), and require faculty to focus the bulk of their time on teaching. There are many out there that will offer competitive degrees and high-quality education (not to imply you won't get a good education at a community college). A place such as this might be a good place to consider after a 2-year degree at a community college if the university setting doesn't sound like a good fit.

I did my undergraduate degree at a teaching college, and I really did not like the small class sizes, as they did not fit my learning style. Small classes may subject you to class activities and participation, which I found difficult. The worst of these were "ice breakers" and similar time-wasting nonsense. I liked being able to just sit, absorb the material, and leave without interacting with anyone.

Have you looked into the possibility of online classes? (I took classes at two regular colleges and two community colleges, never an online class, so this is just based on what others have told me:) that they are for the very motivated self-starter, and are fast-paced. But I imagine someone with aspie traits would do well in such a scenario.

What a terrific suggestion! Many universities offer online courses which may be a good fit for him (my department offers several, but for select courses only, mostly at the introductory level). There are possible pitfalls, however. Lacking the direct interaction with the teacher in the classroom, students can more easily become lost or confused. If they aren't motivated to get help, they may end up suffering in silence and doing poorly in the class. Just something to be aware of - I don't know about him, but I imagine someone with AS or HFA might be reluctant to ask for help if they are lost.