I have no idea what it's like to go to a big college, so I'm not going to say that small schools are 100% better than big schools, but I can say that going to a small school comes with a lot of privileges that I'm super thankful to have.

I don't really have anything that I can personally compare my school to, but I can say that when my friends at big schools describe their classroom settings, it's absolutely nothing like mine. A lot of prospective college students are drawn to big schools like UW-Madison, University of Alabama, or other giant state schools, but the benefits of small universities often get overlooked.

The most notable thing about attending a small college that I'm grateful for is the small class sizes. I've had classes with only 4 other people in them before. I've never heard of such a thing at a big school. Having an intimate learning environment is something that has really benefitted my education.

I'm able to get to know my professors and I'm more than just a random face in their class. I've even gone to some of my professors' houses for holiday parties or pet sitting. Instead of just being another undergraduate student, I'm a person to them. I've had opportunities at this small university that I don't think I would have had if I attended a big school.

A majority of my classes have between 10 and 25 people in them, so naturally, when I had a class with over 100 people in it for the first time since freshman year this semester, it was a shock. I didn't even realize how grateful I was for my small class sizes until it was no longer OK to just make conversation with my professor in front of everyone. Big classes are super stressful, especially if you're like me and you're accustomed to small intimate settings.

It's extremely stressful when you actually need to email your professor the questions you had during class instead of just asking them when they come to your mind. I know that I'm totally spoiled with my small class sizes, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. We get through content so much faster in small classes as well and let me tell you, I feel blessed.

Back when I was a senior in college I wasn't looking at big universities. The thought of attending a huge state school overwhelmed me. So even though I had scholarship opportunities at huge universities, I knew that attending a smaller school was the best choice for me. Granted, I also received a hefty scholarship from my school, but regardless of the financial reasons I chose my college, I'm thankful that I chose this one because of the size.

While attending a small school isn't the best choice for everyone, it was definitely the best choice for me.