College decisions are right around the corner. If you're thinking about spending a couple of years at a community college and then transferring to a four-year institution, you'll have plenty of company. But most who try this route fail.

According to a recent study called the Community College Survey of Student Engagement, many students attend community colleges part-time, meander through their studies while holding jobs, hop from one college to another, encounter financial difficulties, and never complete even the associate's degree. So are community colleges still gateways to universities (assuming they ever were)? Apparently not.

Here are a few other findings, as cited in USA Today:

� 45% [of community college students] are the first in their families to attend college.
� 60% work more than 20 hours a week.
� 35% of community college students say they began their studies at another college.
� 84% never participate in extracurricular activities.
� 53% want to transfer to a four-year college or university.
� 45% predict financial burdens will lead them to drop out.

So if you're headed for a community college next fall with dreams of transitioning seamlessly into a four-year institution, best of luck. Just keep in mind you'll be swimming upstream.