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South Puget Sound Community College Reviews

Average Rating Details

Academic Rigor

Dorm Life

Food and Dining

See South Puget Sound Community College reviews submitted by students. Find out what students have to say about various aspects of attending South Puget Sound Community College. Read about academic experiences and campus life in these free South Puget Sound Community College reviews, or contribute your own South Puget Sound Community College review if you're a current student there.

  • 2 out of 2 people found this review useful.

    Anonymous

    Reviewer is A past student here.

    Categories Rating Comments
    Did learn a lot

    Teachers are hit or miss.
    Did enjoy being here

    I was a running start student.
    Tips for prospective students

    It's huge for its capacity. Imagine 6,000 students fighting for parking (and the school thinks it's a great idea to keep taking more parking lots away). But parking isn't the only problem. Classes literally fill up within minutes. If you're farther away from receiving your degree, the chances of you getting the classes you want are low.
    Great for these types of students

    Anybody, really. It's a community college, therefore, it's commuter campus. Olympia is a very liberal area.

  • 2 out of 2 people found this review useful.

    Kate from Olympia, WA

    Reviewer is A current student here.

    Categories Rating Comments
    Am learning a lot

    This is my 4th quarter at SPSCC and I think the majority of the classes I have taken are really interesting and informative. The professors are very intelligent and know a lot about their subject. The only down-side is when you get a professor who just writes notes on the board which you copy and study for later. This is not teaching! Luckily, this has only happened to me once! Overall, I feel much more informed on the touch subjects the professors are teaching.
    Am enjoying being here

    SPSCC has a beautiful campus. There really isn't a prettier community college in the whole state and I can say that I'm proud to go to school here. It's exceptionally nice when it's sunny outside and you can study in the grass or at a picnic table and read! The people are friendly, the teachers are nice and actually learn your name!
    Bang for the buck

    The school is ridiculously cheap compared to the education you can actually get here. Don't buy the books at the bookstore and then your only fee is tuition- but they have payment plants and are really helpful and lenient!
    Tips for prospective students

    Most of my friends always said that SPSCC is a crummy school that doesn't teach you anything. At first, I felt like I should be embarrassed to go here but I now know that there's no reason for that! Obviously, some of the lower level classes are easy-- Art 101 is going to be easy anywhere you go. Taking harder classes like Anatomy and Physiology, or Microbiology and you will definitely learn a lot and be very impressed with the knowledge that your professors hold.
    Great for these types of students

    Students need to realize that they have to actually open a book to learn the information and succeed! The professor's I have had here at SPSCC expect you to learn from both the book and from lectures so always attend lectures and always read your book and you will succeed.

  • 1 out of 1 people found this review useful.

    Marelle from Olympia, WA

    Reviewer is A current student here.

    Categories Rating Comments
    Am learning a lot

    Only my first quarter here, but I do enjoy the teachers that I have had so far. I am very comfortable with asking them for help if I ever need it.
    Am enjoying being here

    Not a lot of campus activities, since I started school here, i haven't really done anything besides studying.
    Bang for the buck

    Pretty decent for a community college. This school has a payment plan that is available for everyone, so it really helps when you don't have all the tuition just yet.
    Tips for prospective students

    Good school if you're just trying for your Associates' degree.
    Great for these types of students

    Basically anyone.

  • 1 out of 1 people found this review useful.

    Hannah from Olympia, WA

    Reviewer is A past student here.

    Categories Rating Comments
    Did learn a lot

    The professors are all highly qualified and have an apparent passion for their subject. They have a way of making you excited for the class, and they're all very flexible and accommodating to your schedule and your needs as a student. There are several resources available to help you learn, from student study groups to tutoring, to the Math and Writing Centers, to NoteTakers by Jane Showalter at the Student Disability Services. It was a very smooth transition from high school to the college atmosphere, and while the curriculum was challenging, it wasn't impossible.
    Did enjoy being here

    The students are extremely friendly, and it's easy to make friends in your classes and in the commons area in the Student Union Building. There are several vendors at the school that hire students (The Percival Review art & literary publication, the Sounds newspaper, the Student Life desk, the student bookstore, the Clipper Cafe and the bakery), so there are tons of opportunities for employment and to get to know the students at your school better. The Diversity and Equity Center really puts effort into celebrating the wide diversity of students at SPSCC, and the Campus Activities Board is always thinking up new ways to entertain and educate students, from the Lunar New Year festival to the showing of Ghostbusters with popcorn on Halloween. BRICK is great at raising awareness of local and global issues that I wouldn't have been exposed to in high school. And the campus is very beautiful and accessible; it's fairly easy to cross campus to get from one class to another.
    Bang for the buck

    If you enter into SPSCC doing Running Start your junior or senior year of high school, the only expense you have will be your books. All your classes are completely free, and you get to take some great classes to complete otherwise boring credit requirements for high school graduation. For example, I needed five credits of a P.E. class for my high school graduation requirements, and I was able to take Rebecca Johnson's Lifetime Wellness class. It was the best class I have ever taken in my life. Fun, informative, and way more enjoyable than a PE class--and free! I was also able to take Introduction to Formal Logic by Andrew Sergienko in place of a 5-credit math class, and I had a ton of fun in that class. SPSCC opens up a lot of options for free that you would later have to pay hundreds of dollars for once you graduate. And even if you enter SPSCC after graduation, they have a ton of scholarships available. I was able to get an entire year's tuition covered from scholarships offered just from SPSCC alone. They like to honor diversity and passions in the arts, as well as in horticulture, mechanics, academic commitment, heritage--the possibilities are endless, and the list of scholarships offered specifically from SPSCC grows each year. It's definitely cheaper to pursue an AA from a Community College before entering into a university, because you're really only paying $6,000 for two years of classes, plus maybe $1,000 in books--compared to $60,000 at Seattle Pacific University, plus several more thousand for books, that's a really good deal.
    Tips for prospective students

    I would definitely recommend taking Running Start. Even if you can't enter in your junior year, at least take it senior year. That's $3,000 you save right off the bat, and it's a very refreshing jumpstart into college life. They have a ton of options there to get you plugged in, so don't be afraid to get involved. Also, there are lot of opportunities at SPSCC for community service, so grab hold of those, get letters of recommendation from your supervisors, and apply for the scholarships SPSCC offers pertaining to community service. Get involved with student life and make a difference. The atmosphere is open and warm, and you won't regret getting involved. It'll look really good on a resume and on applications for pursuing your education later.
    Great for these types of students

    I recommend SPSCC to anyone. Whether you're a junior in high school, just graduated from high school, or continuing your education after 30 years out of the education system, SPSCC is great at plugging you in and making you fit. They have wonderful resources to help you study and know your material, and the teachers are accommodating for all types of students. Especially if you're working a part-time job on top of going to school! There are some classes that are only two or three days a week, and they have hybrid classes (two days in class, the rest of the work online), as well as online courses. The staff at SPSCC will team up to help you however they can so you can be a success.

  • 0 out of 1 people found this review useful.

    Anonymous

    Reviewer is A current student here.

    Categories Rating Comments
    Am learning a lot

    The teachers are a hit and miss, mostly a miss so far.
    Am enjoying being here

    I love working at the library. The staff there is friendly and helpful.
    Bang for the buck

    The tuition is better than a four-year college.
    Tips for prospective students

    Study.

  • Ekaterina from Olympia, WA

    Reviewer is A current student here.

    Categories Rating Comments
    In three sentences

    Great college for those who don't know what they want to do in their future yet as well as those who are sure in their careers. The instructors are incredible and helpful. The staff creates the best workshops and assistance.
    Tips for prospective students

    Get into studding a lot. Enjoy every lecture and don't miss classes.
    Academic Rigor

    Great!
    Dorm Life

    No dorms.
    Food and Dining

    Great coffee shops as well as culinary arts program's cafeteria.
    What to do for fun

    Always be in the SUB on Thursdays - they have great events going on.
    Bang for the buck

    great education for less
    Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus

    Join Clubs!

  • Rebekah from Olympia, WA

    Reviewer is A current student here.

    Categories Rating Comments
    In three sentences

    As a minority student, it is a predominantly white school, but has a GREAT diversity program which is the only way i survived. Academics are good, however administration is terrible due to under-staffing in my opinion. Overall it is great for a 2 year school if you get involved.
    Tips for prospective students

    GET INVOLVED! Seriously you will do so much better, you will meet people and get a support system right away. Ask fellow students about teachers before you register.
    What to do for fun

    Sports, Diversity programs, campus activities, tons of student rub clubs.
    Great for these types of students

    Minorities! As an African American going to predominately white schools all my life, this is the first school i attended that has a great support system for minorities and really helped me through school.
    Clubs and Activities

    Awesome clubs! and easy to start your own if you don't see one you like
    Greek Life

    NONE

  • Shanti from Olympia, WA

    Reviewer is A past student here.

    Categories Rating Comments
    In three sentences

    some great faculty members.
    good class options.
    beautiful campus.
    Tips for prospective students

    take sociology classes and botany.
    Academic Rigor

    fairly high standards for a community college.
    Dorm Life

    no dorms on campus.
    Food and Dining

    college has culinary school, which cooks for the cafeteria, and is pretty good.
    What to do for fun

    close to downtown olympia.
    Bang for the buck

    good for technical training and 4-year transfer.
    Clubs and Activities

    brick is the best club at any school i've seen.
    Campus Safety

    security roams around all the time.

  • Courtney from Yelm, WA

    Reviewer is A current student here.

    Categories Rating Comments
    In three sentences

    is a very tight community. they value their students. classes so far are not that hard and if you need help there is a lot of help out there.
    Tips for prospective students

    make sure you get registered and have all your paperwork in early just in case you have to bring in more papers later.
    Dorm Life

    there arent any dorms
    Food and Dining

    honestly have only had there coffee and the coffee is good. there are 2 stands on both sides of campus. from what i have heard the food is good too.
    What to do for fun

    the student union building is full of people studying, talking, getting a bite to eat or drink, and they also play ping pong! they have tons of clubs and sports
    Bang for the buck

    it is a community college so it is cheaper then a university or state college and you can take your general classes and get them out of the way instead of paying so much for the classes at a university
    Great for these types of students

    this school is perfect for nature lovers. they have a lot of natural all around campus.
    Campus Safety

    as far as ive seen i havent ever seen a fight or confrontations. the campus security are always around to help out. even for small stuff if you lock your keys in your car

  • Rochelle from Olympia, WA

    Reviewer is A current student here.

    Categories Rating Comments
    In three sentences

    The best diversity college ever. Great communication with all staff and students. Teachers are a blessing.
    Tips for prospective students

    Enjoy and enbrace.
    Academic Rigor

    great
    Dorm Life

    none
    Food and Dining

    Great
    What to do for fun

    Movies
    Bang for the buck

    Movies
    Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus

    none
    Great for these types of students

    none
    Clubs and Activities

    csi
    Greek Life

    none
    Campus Safety

    the best

  • Kristina from Olympia, WA

    Reviewer is A current student here.

    Categories Rating Comments
    Am learning a lot

    This college has a lot of really talented teachers who are willing to help me. Even though all the professors are really busy, most of my teachers gladly took time out of their days to help me understand better understand the material. During lectures, most of my teachers have been extremely fun. Not only did they cover the material they needed to cover, but they made the lectures more fun by interacting the students.
    Am enjoying being here

    It is a pretty nice college here overall. It takes about seven minutes to walk from one end of the campus to the other end and the people who go there are usually really nice. The Student Union Building is in the very middle of the campus along with the library right beside it so that is extremely helpful to me. I think the best part for me would be all of the events the college holds. They celebrate almost every holiday and while celebrating they bring in food and give out raffle-prizes. The only disappointing thing for me was that they only had two resources for food, which were snack dispensers and a restaurant run by the culinary arts program. Both of those are pretty expensive, especially when you are a college student.
    Bang for the buck

    The money spent for this college was definitely worth it to me. I have learned so much these past two years. I did not have a lot of money my first year starting, so when I talked to my counselor to discuss my options, she, along with plenty of other members of a board, did everything they could to keep me going there.
    Tips for prospective students

    Get everything signed and handled as soon as possible. Also, make sure you register, add, drop, or withdraw a class quickly, because the general classes fill up in almost a day. So when you get your registration time, register at that time or else you might be too late for a class.
    Great for these types of students

    This college would be great for those who want to get their AA degree by paying a lot less money.

  • McKenna from Olympia, WA

    Reviewer is A current student here.

    Categories Rating Comments
    Am learning a lot

    I learn a lot at South Puget Sound Community College. At this community college one could expect to learn more than just textbook information. The school is a great environment where one can learn about life, morals and about themselves while attending the school.
    Am enjoying being here

    I love attending this college because it is close to home and the classes are of a reasonable size. This allows me to learn in an environment in which I am comfortable. Having smaller sized classes also allows for more discussions.
    Bang for the buck

    I believe that the tuition and costs of this school are just ok. Online classes cost more, which seems silly to me.
    Tips for prospective students

    Make sure and sign up for classes when you are supposed to. This is a crowded community college and there are only a curtain amount of seats in each class. If you don't get into the classes that you want, get on the wait list and you have a very good chance of getting into the class before the beginning of the quarter.
    Great for these types of students

    This school is great for students that care less about the social aspect of school and more about the earning your degree in a timely fashion.