In modern American culture, there is a big push for students to attend big state schools where you can focus on a specific field with limited study outside of your field. However, there is another extremely valid option, a liberal arts university in which you can still achieve your degree in a specific field, but you are able to explore and learn about many different scholastic areas.

1. The school you attend will likely be smaller.

As someone who attends a university that is smaller than my high school, I can tell you that a small campus and population is a major benefit of a liberal arts school. At a school the size of Montevallo, you can easily make it across campus in five minutes, which is a lot different than large state schools where you have to take buses from one part of campus to another to make it to class on time. Another major bonus to attending a small school is that you will never get lost! If you're like me, you have a horrible sense of direction, but even with that, there are only a few routes around the campus that are easy to follow and keep track of.

2 Your classes will be smaller.

The smaller class sizes go hand-in-hand with the smaller campus. There are tons of benefits to having a class size of 20 compared to 200. Your professors will know your name, and because of this you will get valuable one-on-one help. You will also know everyone in your classes which can make group assignments a lot less daunting. You will not have to learn new names and work with people you aren't familiar with. And most importantly, with fewer people, you can get more questions answered and you don't have to worry about not being able to gain the understanding needed to firmly grasp these concepts.

3. You will have friends from a variety of majors and focuses.

Because you are required to get a broad foundation of different subjects you will be attending classes with people of all different majors. Due to this and the small campus size it is more likely than not that you will recognize most people on campus and be friends with a good amount of them. Having friends that vary so much in their interests and points of view is super beneficial it creates a well-rounded friend group that can deal with issues easily and become as close as family. Besides, people in opposite fields can be extremely complementary, it's true when they say "opposites attract!"

4. You have a wider variety of classes to see what major is right for you.

You may think you have your whole life plan figured out now, and maybe you do. But it is extremely common for people to switch majors in college, for a variety of reasons. With a liberal arts education, you have experience in different fields, from business to the arts to science. You have classes in everything and can find what fits for you. If you do change your major, it's no big deal. Liberal arts universities have a wide variety of degree plans so you generally don't have to worry about transferring to a different school and leaving your friends.

5. Most liberal arts universities have strong cultures.

This isn't to say larger schools don't have specific cultures, but at smaller liberal arts schools you are immersed in and living the culture. Due to the small size of the population, a large portion, if not the complete majority, of the students will be involved in major events and traditions held. Montevallo is one of the best schools to showcase this with College Night. This event is the longest running homecoming tradition in the U.S. and is something students and alumni alike get extremely excited for each year. There is no way to explain these important traditions and cultures, you just have to experience them to feel their wonderful power and the family-like atmosphere they create.