There's no shame, whatsoever, in community college.  As I said, most people I know who went straight to the universities from high school ended up drunk and stoned for the first two years.  Many flunked out and ended up in community colleges, anyway.  And they're all spending more than the traditional four years in school, whereas my fiancee graduated in only three and a half years with her degree, and I finished within the same period with two degrees.

Once you get beyond the introductory coursework, which is offered at any community college, I think it's better to have professors who are more concerned with research, since they're more able, in my experience, to walk you through complex concepts and demonstrate the concepts' usefulness, from an academic standpoint.

What will be interesting to see is whether states will begin making it their policies to have all students first attend community college for the first two years, and then to have them move on to the universities.  I think it would be a mistake, and would crowd out the students who want and need to remain local and keep fees down, but I'm hearing more and more talk of it in the local press here in Tallahassee.  I guess the state legislature and the governor are thinking about it.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.