Student Issues / Attending College

With only two years spent on campus, community college students often find that graduation is upon them before they have taken advantage of all the valuable opportunities available!

To make the most of your community college experience, consider volunteering with community college groups and organizations. Volunteerism can help boost your experience, your resume, and your professional network while providing you with an array of additional perks.

Build Your Resume

Most community college students and graduates are aware of the highly competitive tensions in the job market. To ensure that your resume stands out from the rest, boost your credentials by including various volunteerism activities. Volunteering lets employers know that you care about your community and work well in teams. Also your volunteerism experiences can also provide employers with more insight into your interests, as groups that are devoted to environmental, regional, or other specific causes can say quite a deal about your character.

Include your various volunteerism activities on your resume to show more about yourself as a personable applicant. Include these activities to show how you have gained valuable work experience. For example, if you were the leader of your volunteerism group, explain how this experience has better prepared you for the career in which you are applying. Leadership and involvement are key attributes that can help boost an application and resume.

This video from the Times Higher Education discusses the benefits of student volunteerism.

Could being social and involved on your community college campus lead to better grades? According to the Community College Survey (CCS), there is an inherent link between student involvement and academic performance.

Based on the CCS, student involvement in campus opportunities lead to better learning and academic performance. While many school leaders are devising new ways to increase student participation, community college students should be self-motivated to become more involved in the full collegiate experience.

Benefits of Engaging in Campus Opportunities

According to researcher Christopher Chaves of Community Colleges Los Angeles, the earlier a student engages in campus participation, the better the results. For example, nearly all community college students who participate in a freshman orientation program tend to hold greater retention rates, complete their degrees, and earn overall higher grades than individuals who did not participate in orientation.

Furthermore, according to the investigation, four local North Carolina community colleges revealed: “that involvement in a freshman orientation course improved student performance regardless of race, age, gender, major, employment status, or entrance exam scores.”

Studies support that community college students utilizing campus opportunities tend to experience greater developmental benefits than those who do not participate in such venues.

What Else Students Can Do: How to Get Involved

Utilize Academic Support Centers

According to Chavez, students who take advantage of campus-wide learning centers tend to experience greater academic benefits and performance results. Whether you are struggling with a specific topic or simply want to be fully

Whether students choose to study theater and performance as their major or simply pursue acting as a part-time interest, community colleges continue to provide a wide array of performance opportunities. With formal stage productions, student-run showcases, and technical theater roles, these institutions offer accessible entry points into the performing arts.

In 2026, community college theater programs play an increasingly important role in arts education, particularly as rising tuition costs at four-year institutions lead more students to begin their studies at two-year colleges. These programs combine affordability with hands-on experience, allowing students to develop both creative and technical skills.

Acting and Theater Opportunities at Community Colleges

Community colleges across the country offer diverse theater programs that emphasize performance, collaboration, and practical experience. Students can participate in productions, enroll in acting and stagecraft courses, and explore roles both onstage and behind the scenes.

In addition to traditional theater, many programs now incorporate film, digital media, and interdisciplinary performance, reflecting broader changes in the entertainment industry. According to the National Endowment for the Arts, participation in arts education continues to be linked to improved academic and career outcomes.

For students exploring academic pathways in the arts, community colleges offer a flexible starting point. Learn more about available programs and degrees: Best Community Colleges by Career Path in 2025

Seminole State College of Florida

At Seminole State College of Florida, students engage in a wide range of performance opportunities through a comprehensive theater program. The curriculum combines liberal

Community colleges nationwide have implemented specific support programs to stimulate student support and success. Often referred to as “mentor services” or “mentor programs,” community college mentors can be paramount leaders for guiding and encouraging younger students. Mentors are often older community college students who have demonstrated specific academic or professional successes in their collegiate studies. By sharing their knowledge and insight with new and younger students, community colleges have designed robust programs to enhance the success of all students and campus members.

What is a Mentor Program?

While each community college has its unique mentoring program, the general concept focuses on pairing a new or young student with an older, more experienced student. Often, mentors will guide new students by helping them set their schedules, by providing campus tours, or by offering to serve a new student as an academic tutor or study buddy.

When engaging in a mentoring program, mentors are considered the “experts” in their field or organization, while mentees are the more novice and less experienced organization members. In the case of community colleges, mentors are usually students, although they may often also be professors. At the same time, mentees are new and younger students or students who may need special support services, such as ESL support, transfer support, etc.

This video examines the peer mentoring program at Guttman Community College in New York, New York.

Community

Alternative spring break is an opportunity for students to engage in service-oriented trips to help struggling groups of individuals, areas, or communities. While fun should always be in the equation of spring break, you can also make a difference during your vacation.

As spring break becomes an increasingly travel-based event for millions of students across the country, community colleges are embracing alternative spring break programs in order to provide students with local, national, and even international opportunities to spend a week having fun, while also making an impact on a specific area. By engaging in these programs, Life-Changing Travel asserts that students can “Come back with a tan, an impressive addition to your resume, great stories, new friends and a fresh perspective not only on Spring Break but on the world!”

This video offers some alternative activities for spring break activities.

Community Colleges and Alternative Spring Break Opportunities

Central Piedmont Community College

As Central Piedmont (CPCC) describes, “Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a low-cost service trip that provides students with an opportunity to participate in meaningful service activities, learn more about community issues, and have fun.” By engaging in the variety of ASB programs, students can choose from an array of projects that are “designed to encourage civic responsibility.”

In the past, CPCC students have taken trips up and down the Piedmont coast, traveling to Atlanta, Georgia to help homeless