An Alumnae’s Thoughts on Calhoun College
Calhoun has low tuition, lower than most colleges in the area, and scholarships and work-study programs are available to assist those who need help with costs. The staff in the Financial Aid Department can assist in filling out federal forms for financial aid, helping you learn of the programs available, or just to answer general questions about college funding.
Teachers at Calhoun are some of the state’s finest, in my opinion. I was pleased that most of them would spend extra time with students as needed, or recommend other avenues of academic assistance as needed. Tutoring is available in the Student Services Department. There are several subject-focused learning centers across the campus where one can get help with Biology, Mathematics, English, Accounting, and a variety of other subjects. The library on campus has an excellent reference section, and the librarians are very helpful in helping you find what you need for research papers or other projects.
Many of the labs also offer videos that can be checked out to cover classes you may have missed or need some clarification on.
Calhoun is centrally located in North Alabama, its main campus lying on the outskirts of Decatur, Alabama. Calhoun also has campuses on Redstone Arsenal and in Research Park in Huntsville, making it convenient for all ages. And all ages attend Calhoun. One is likely to see a mixture of ages in each class, which is different from many campuses. I went back to school at 37, but was certainly not the only person my age in class. Besides the large influx of recent high school graduates in the area who enroll, Calhoun also attracts many adults who are wanting to advance in their present career, learn job skills to begin a new career or just complete educational goals. The mixture of ages makes learning fun and students are very helpful to each other in sharing information regarding college life.
Besides Calhoun’s usual subject majors, they also offer other paths such as Cosmetology, Barbering, or Radiology Assistant. But many of the students who begin at Calhoun are unsure of exactly what they want to do, making it a great place to have low tuition while just taking basic academics that are required of most majors. A counselor at the school will be happy to sit down with you and discuss your best options on classes, or assist you in deciding which classes will transfer to each of the other Alabama universities.
Because Calhoun has lenient admission policies, many students who are not academically ready to be accepted to another college or university find it helpful to attend Calhoun and get a second chance on earning a new academic record to be considered by the other institution. Remedial classes are available for those who need a refresher course in Math, English, Chemistry, or others. A free placement test is offered to help one decide which class to take. If one had not completed high school, for whatever reason, GED classes are also available and Calhoun is one of the testing centers to take the GED when you are ready.
The campus is small enough to be able to walk to all classes, yet large enough to house the excellent departments that Calhoun offers academically. Parking is not usually a problem and campus security is excellent. Calhoun also has a day care facility on campus. Classes are available for distance learning students as well, so that many classes can be completed by telecourses, where a student checks out videos of the classes or watches them by television or computer. Calhoun has a large schedule of night classes each semester, so that working students can attend either day or night, whichever is convenient for them.
If you are in the Decatur area and looking for a great value on tuition to obtain a strong academic background, John C. Calhoun Community College is the place for you. I loved my time there, and I know you will, too.
