Attending college is something that most freshly graduated high school students look forward to. But choosing which university to spend the next 4 years of your life at is an extremely tough choice. From large to small schools, private to public, there are hundreds of options. I chose to attend a school called Ferris State University and I couldn’t be happier with my choice to attend a small college. Here are the top 7 reasons why I think attending a small university is the best.
1.Class Sizes
Stereotypes and Hollywood will tell you that the average college lecture hall is jam-packed with 500+ students. At a small schools, classes rarely exceed 150 students, and those are usually gen eds or science classes. These lectures are also hardly ever taught by TAs, so you receive information directly from the professor. This also gives the opportunity for more collaboration with professors.
2.Campus Life
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to attend a school with over 40,000 students to have fun while at college. Even if your school has 1/3 the students as the local state university, there will still be plenty to do on campus. From intramural sports to ultimate frisbee in the quad, greek life to professional clubs, there is still an almost unlimited ways to get involved and have fun. And even though your football team won’t attract 50,000 or more fans, Saturday games will still be a good time.
3.Distance
Probably one of the best parts of going to a small college is the size of the campus. While some people enjoy a 4-5 mile walk, if you’re anything like me you will love being able to roll out of bed 10 minutes before class and still making it on time. And when you start to feel guilty for the freshman 15, the gym is only a short distance away!
4.Friends
Making new friends is much easier at a small university. Because of the physical size of the school, you will always be within close proximity of your friends. While you will still see and meet new people every day, you will see the people you know frequently. Small schools often have a very “homey” feel to them, and most people are very friendly, which is very helpful when making new friends. And if you ever have to go to the dining hall alone, there is a pretty good chance at least one of your friends is eating too.
5.Price
Smaller colleges and universities are usually more expensive than larger ones, especially private schools. With this being said, smaller colleges often offer double, even triple the amount of scholarships that larger schools do. Large universities have no trouble getting students to attend so they usually don’t hand out money like smaller schools do. Even most private schools offer to pay a large portion of tuition to help offset the costs of attending.
6.Weekend Activities
Many people think that you have to go to a giant school to “live it up” on the weekends. While bigger schools do have huge themed frat parties and endless alcoholic activities, small schools definitely know how to party. Everybody knows everybody. If you’re looking for case-races or chill bonfires in the middle of the woods, small colleges have it all. You won’t have to worry about a boring weekend, even at a small little school like Ferris State.
7.Sense of Community
Attending a small college is like going to school with a giant family. Even though you won’t know everyone, strangers will treat you like a friend. Spring Saturday afternoons will turn into large community service projects, or hammocking in the quad. Your friends and everyone around you truly become your home away from home.
Even though small universities don’t host powerhouse football teams or have 87 million student organizations, it doesn’t mean they aren’t worth it. I’m a name, not a number to my school, and I have built long-lasting and meaningful relationships that I will forever be thankful for. While attending a large university is not necessarily a bad decision, I love my small school, and I wouldn’t change my decision to attend one!
