The Lack of Research Opportunities for Community College Students

One of the most critical components of a STEM undergraduate’s life is research. Majority of STEM majors at universities do some type of research relating to their major or their personal interests. However, at the community college level, research opportunities are scarce and limited to a few students per laboratory. But why are research opportunities for us community college students so rare? It’s because the professors at our colleges are there to teach, and not research coupled with the competition we have with students from universities all gunning for the few opportunities we get.

The major reason why community colleges lack research opportunities is because our professors are here to actually teach us. The common theme between universities and community colleges is that professors at universities are brought on to do research for the university to discover new things that would increase their endowment. Because of this, these professors will always need help and will often look to their classes and students at their universities to assist them in their endeavors. Without professors dedicated to researching, community colleges are left without research within their schools leaving students feeling unsatisfied.

For us students motivated enough to look beyond their community colleges for research, we are met with extremely competitive programs that would take place during the summer. These research opportunities over the summer are offered at research institutions, and have not only community college students all across the nation applying, but undergraduates from all universities applying for new experiences or a chance to research at a better institution. Even though community college students are driven and motivated individuals, they lack opportunities which leads to disadvantages when applying for jobs and internships.