I went to community college for two years. I met some of my best friends there and got to take classes taught by some of my favorite educators.

Community college has its place. If you’re pursuing a technical career, community college is the best way to go. But for those of us looking to pursue a four-year career path, it leaves a lot to be desired.

After getting my two-year degree, I arrived at the University of Iowa as a junior, living off campus. The connections and friendships I could have made as an underclassman living in residence halls were foregone. I found myself having to take general education classes I could have knocked out as a freshman.

I had to wait until my junior year to write for The Daily Iowan, only to figure out with two semesters to go that I might not want to be a journalist — something I might’ve figured out sooner had I attended the UI at the beginning of my college career.

Because of the general education classes that weren’t offered at community college, I have to attend the UI for five semesters after attending community college part-time for five semesters.

Considering that only 43.1 percent of community college students in the 2016 cohort finished their program by 2022, making us go to even more school than regular students isn’t exactly putting us in a position to succeed.

It’s not just community colleges that need to improve — it’s colleges in general. Instead of running a racket by making journalism students learn about the printing press, require fewer classes and make college less grating to get through.