I am thinking about this Community College article. I am all for the traditional 4 year college right off the bat. It worked for me.
Yet, the research really shows clearly that many students are not ready for living on campus and the whole shebang. Community college can be a great bridge over the tumultuous freshman year river rapids where many students get thrown from the boat and into the foam (literally, as in beer). Since the college transcript is a permanent record, better to be safer than sorrier.
General rule of thumb. If you have a below 85% GPA in high school in your academic subjects (at a typical high school that sends half of its graduates to college yearly), seriously consider going to a Community College for the first year . It is kind of like 13th grade of high school with just enough college vibe (you are not in class all day) to make it a good option for many. And, you can save $$$.