JJC Blog

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)

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.

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. 

There’s always more to learn at JJC. Check out the infographic below to learn a few lesser-known facts about the college.

Striving to be the first is nothing new for JJC. Since becoming the nation’s first public community college in 1901, JJC has extended its offerings to 180+ degree and certificate programs, 30 clubs and six campus locations. Aside from servicing students, JJC is a resource to the community, offering theatre productions, a student-run restaurant, planetarium shows, concerts, art exhibits and more!