Proud to be a Fighting Owl

Citrus College is the oldest community college in Los Angeles County and the fifth oldest in California.

Known for its small campus and friendly atmosphere, Citrus offers students many benefits that other nearby community colleges with higher enrollment may not. We Citrus College students should be nothing less than proud to call this our school.

By far the most important benefit of attending any publicly funded community college is cost. At Cal Poly Pomona, tuition for undergraduates is $4,551 a year. Students who enroll at the University of La Verne can expect to pay approximately $14,125 for the first year. At California's community colleges, the cost is $26 per unit. Students who take a full-time schedule of 12 units pay $312. Attending Citrus is a steal.

Because the per-unit fee is so low, one might think that classroom instruction might be inferior to those offered at 4-year universities.

However, Citrus students who have attended a CSU or UC school say that this is not the case.

Consider other nearby community colleges.

Chaffey College has a student-teacher ratio of 40:1. Here at Citrus the ratio is 29:1.

With smaller class sizes, Citrus students have the chance to develop a closer relationship with their professors. Classroom engagement may help students to understand the subject better as well as offer the one-on-one attention students may need.

Some professors who teach at Citrus also teach at local universities and are professionals in the fields of study they are teaching.

Because Citrus is small, a sense of community permeates throughout the campus. Help is readily available, and offices such as the Success Center and the Career/Transfer Center are open every day and students who walk-in have little to almost no wait time.

International students feel that sense of community too. The staff is extremely helpful in answering questions and addressing concerns foreign students may have. They are ready and willing to guide students from far away places to make their experience at Citrus a success.

Citrus students have many opportunities to move forward on their chosen career paths.

Counselors help students transfer to UC, CSU, USC, APU and other private universities as well as schools out-of-state.

But college isn't just all about academics.

Student government sponsors several events such as "Citrus Week". With more than 25 active clubs, a lively performing arts program and chances to volunteer, the opportunities to be involved and make friends are endless.

Citrus also prides itself on its excellent athletic facilities and teams.

The aquatic center features an Olympic-sized pool, home to the Fighting Owls swim teams and water polo teams.

The newly renovated 10,000-seat stadium with its all-weather track, driving range, and the fitness center set Citrus apart from other schools.

Attending a community college, especially Citrus, is a smart choice.

Most Citrus students plan to transfer to the university of their dreams. Having Citrus College as their foundation makes that goal much more attainable.

We Citrus students realize how lucky we really are. Other campuses tend to be more crowded, and less friendly. We are truly blessed.