Three years ago when I decided to attend a women's college, basically everyone I knew wanted to know why I chose the school I did and questioned if I knew what I was getting into. Looking back, I didn't really have a reason for choosing a women's college and no, I did not know what I was getting into. Like any other school, women's colleges have perks and downfalls, but I feel sure when I say choosing a women's college has made me a stronger and better person than I was when I graduated from high school. Women's colleges have immense value and here are the most prominent reasons why.
1. You take a risk when you decide to attend a women's college.
People inevitably wonder what you're thinking when you make the decision to attend a women's college. Friends ask why you don't care about boys, why you want to miss out on a "real college experience" and, frankly, why you want to do something different than everyone else. And in some ways, their questions are valid, because what you're choosing is unique and you will have a different experience than everyone else in college. But, there is value in taking the road less traveled. There is value in learning that risk taking can lead to beautiful and personalized experiences.
2. You can be yourself.
It's no secret that one of the easiest things to do in a new environment is to put on a front or to just recluse totally. Being yourself, on the other hand, can be the most terrifying thing to do in a new place. At a women's college, you can bet there is literally no one there that knew each other beforehand, and you can bet every other person was just as unsure as you on their first day of classes. With the common fear of having made a giant mistake breaking the ice between you and your fellow classmates, you are free to be yourself.
3. You are fully known on campus.
Women's colleges are notoriously small communities, which leads to a tight-knit environment. Students know each other's names and stories. Even cooler, professors know students' names and stories. Nothing beats having a professor know your goals, aspirations, strengths and weaknesses. At a women's college you get to be fully known by your peers and by your professors, and even by the President of the College. When you're fully known, you feel fully confident.
4. You have sisters you never thought you would have.
Whether you come into a women's college as a single child or as one of ten siblings, you will gain sisters that you would never have gained otherwise. Although you may have differing opinions or different ideas, you all share the experience of attending a women's college and those ties run deep. Sure, co-ed universities have school spirit, but they don't have the same sisterhood as those who graduated from the same women's college. There's something special about meeting a sister in the "real world" that had the same chemistry professor as you or walked the same path to class as you everyday.
5. You will feel empowerment.
Within my first six months at a women's college, I could tell a tremendous difference in my confidence. I held my head higher, spoke my opinions louder and introduced myself proudly. This comes as a result of taking a risk and watching it pay off, being known by my school and feeling the safety of a strong sisterhood. Attending a women's college teaches you more than what you learn in class. It teaches you to know your worth, to lean on your friends for help and strength and just how much you can accomplish when you put your mind to it.
Above: me and my Salem sisters.
