JJC Blog

Note: This article was published in 2016. Some programs and job descriptions have been updated.

Would you be surprised if we told you that you can make up to $64,000 a year with just a two-year, in-demand associate degree from JJC?

From opportunities in the technical field to computers and health care, we've created the ultimate list for students who are thinking about jobs with high salaries and good career prospects. While this doesn't include all of JJC's opportunities that can lead to in-demand, high paying jobs, the ones we've highlighted are among some of the most popular.

Below, we list eight, in-demand, high paying jobs you can get with only a JJC degree: 

NOTE: Kathleen Duong's term as student trustee was from 2016-2017.

The alarm clock on her phone buzzes, waking her up from a sound sleep. Even though it’s tempting to hit the snooze button, Kathleen Duong is ready to face the day at Joliet Junior College. Kathleen is your typical student – she enjoys hanging out with her friends, listening to her music on full-blast, and dreaming about her future career in the medical field.

But unlike many of her peers, Kathleen wakes up each day with a specific goal in mind: to make life on campus a better place. That’s why she applied to be JJC’s student trustee (a voting member of the college’s Board of Trustees). Kathleen is passionate about her role on campus because she wants to make a difference and help students who want their voices heard. 

But what is Kathleen's life really like? We've put together the top 10 things you'll most likely find her doing from day to day.

A group of JJC students' lives were forever changed this past summer, when they boarded a plane and started a study abroad experience in Morocco. The group of 11 created memories that would last a lifetime - from making friends with their host families, to visiting historical sites and immersing themselves in the culture as if they were Moroccan citizens. JJC English and World Languages Professor Cris Trillo, who grew up in both Spain and Morocco, traveled with them.  

Travel to Morocco through the words (and video) of three of these students, Devin Wood, Elizabeth McHugh and Kevin Cabrera. 

Now that we’re knee-deep into September, there are a few things we can expect: pumpkin-flavored everything, taffy apples, the very first leaves to start changing color (the first day of fall is next week!), and at JJC – Mainstreet!    

This year, Mainstreet will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 14 and Thursday, Sept. 15. Mainstreet is a tradition here on campus - it's when many of JJC's clubs line up in booths along the C-Concourse so new and returning students can learn how to join them.

Getting involved in extracurricular activities is proven to have a positive link to student attendance, high GPA, and high test scores.

Below, we’ve included a few tips on how to navigate Mainstreet this year:

With class projects, homework, student activities, work and family obligations, it can be hard sometimes to remember everything on your to-do list.

At JJC, we want you to be successful, so we've created a new notification system (through our JJC mobile app) that will remind you of important deadlines - and give you one less thing to worry about! 

(IMPORTANT: This notification system through our mobile app should not be confused with JJC's Emergency Alert System, which notifies students of school closings and other emergencies)

In case you haven’t heard… Pokémon characters are taking over the halls of JJC! 

From Jigglypuffs to Pikachus, JJC is full of these miniature “pocket monsters” from the 1990s TV show, Pokémon – and JJC is considered a Pokémon Hub in the popular mobile app game, Pokémon Go.

If you haven’t heard about the game, it’s simple: the objective is to catch as many Pokémon characters as you can (when you walk around you’ll spot the Pokémon characters on your phone). Using Pokéballs, you’ll catch the characters, and the more that you catch, the more experience you'll get, leading to a higher level. You can also collect Pokémon by finding and hatching eggs.

Congratulations to all our new students this semester! We bet you're excited (and maybe even a little nervous) to be on campus for the first time. Now that you're finally a student here, there is so much you have to look forward to - and we've put together the ultimate guide! 

Here are 15 rites of passage you can expect to take part in during your time as a JJC student:

So, you've just signed up for your first semester at JJC and you're all ready to go for Aug. 22, down to the college-ruled notebooks, 3-inch binders and ballpoint pens. (There's still time if you haven't signed up for classes yet! Apply or register here.)

Being new to the school and maybe even college in general, we bet you're wondering what daily life is going to be like. After all, you are going to be spending a lot of time here in the coming months!

As we wait for classes to begin, we've put together a quick list for our first-time students - here's what you can expect your first semester at JJC.

Whether you’ve just graduated from high school or are looking to change careers, choosing the right college is a big decision. 

Our advice is simple. Ask yourself: what is your end goal? We’re going to guess that A.) you want to obtain a degree so you can earn enough to live comfortably, and B.) you want to work in a field you’re passionate about.

As the nation's first public community college, take it from us - community colleges can provide those two things for you whether you choose to transfer or not. 

JJC is celebrating a big milestone this year – it’s been 115 years since it became the first community college in the United States. That means our college has been around for an insanely long time! 

Just to show you how crazy that is:

• There are only four people living in the world today that have been around for as long as our college has. 
• Five years after the Olympics began (as we know them today), JJC started offering classes.
• Our college has seen the Great Depression, two World Wars, and the rise of the Internet.
• When JJC opened its doors, there were only 45 states in the U.S. (Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii weren’t a part of the club yet).
• Women did not have the right to vote until 1920, 19 years after JJC first opened.

As we celebrate this outstanding anniversary, we’ve gathered a few #throwback photos from the past via the college’s yearbook archive. 

Joliet High School, 1901
The first Joliet Junior College classes were held at Joliet Township High School in 1901.