Where I live, college is synonymous with university. To distinguish between 4-year schools, we use community or technical colleges, which might be what you're thinking of. Rich people tend to look down on them because they don't cost a lot of money. They are the ones that generally offer 2-year Associate's degrees. For certain industries, they can be better than a regular university.
The advantage is that you get out faster with more useful skills, but you don't have to take the liberal arts classes you would at a regular college.
A lot of people get an Associate's degree at a community college, then find a job, and save up for a Bachelor's degree later. Some companies will help pay for college education.
I did it the other way around -- got my Bachelor's in marketing and then took night classes at a technical school because I wanted to learn computer programming.
Just out of curiousity, when were you in Minneapolis? That's my neck of the woods.
I believe there's a hero in all of us that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams. -- Aunt May, Spider-Man 2
