Are the first two years in college a different experience?
No, you will find that your first semester is a different experience than high school. You can pick the time of your classes. I made sure I got out early of Fridays. Talk to the university that you want to graduate from. Ask then what community college has a good credit transfer. Some university will not recognize the credit for the classes that you took and you will have to retake the classes. I got turned down from the university that I applied for out of high school. They told me about the community college that I attended and then transferred the the university and then graduated from. The credit hours transferred. I had no regrets going to a community college and on to a university. Besides it is a lot cheaper at the community college. good luck.