Schools comes in all shapes and sizes. Some are public, some private, some smaller, and some larger. Going to college, you realize that a lot of students went to rather large high schools. You may think that they had a better experience going to a larger school, but here are some reasons why it was better to go to a small school.
1. The school is easy to navigate:
2. News travels fast:
With the school being so small, news spreads like wildfire. You can guarantee that if there’s a fight during lunch, half the school will know about before the next class period even ends. Also, if school’s getting out early that news spreads like a wildfire.
If someone was on TV for winning a competition or getting an award, the whole school will know about it the next day and the student will be congratulated by faculty and those in their grade; it’s even better when an upperclassman recognizes you.3. You know everyone in your grade:
The students in your grade are the same students you went to kindergarten with. You’ve known them since you were five and still have classes with them today. Add in the occasional students who transferred or moved to your school district within the years and your class is complete. Knowing everyone in your grade makes your senior year even better because you realize it’s your last year to really know someone.4.You have a huge sense of school pride:
Yes, this is true for all high schools, but it’s even more so at a small public high school. You might not have the numbers that other student sections do but that won’t stop you from matching them all the way. Football season is filled with constant Saturdays of waking up with no voice. And when there’s any type of color out, that’s what the students do. This just doesn’t go for football. Though it might not be as intense as football, school spirit goes along with all the sports. You can find a small student section at games all year round, but you best believe that when there’s a big game or it’s senior night, you can bet that the student section will be loud and proud.5. It's a big deal when someone from your schools goes to college on an athletic scholarship:
With your school being so small, it’s rare that scouts from colleges come out to see a senior play. Every once in a while though it’ll happen and when it does, you best believe the local newspaper will be covering it. Sure it’ll mostly be football players signing to play at division 3 schools, but it’s still exciting to know that someone from your school is going to be playing in college. It’s even more exciting when it’s someone on the soccer, track, cross country, or volleyball team. And it’s the best when that athlete gets the rare recruitment from a division one school, despite what sport it may be.6. Your school comes together when tragedy strikes:
Sure this might happen in larger schools, but it hits home more when it’s a smaller school. Since the school is so small, you most likely interacted with the person who was affected or knew their face and name. When the tragedy happens, it not only affects students, but the teachers, and although it’s heartbreaking, everyone comestogether to help the families of those affected. It could be holding a bake sale to raise money for the family, having a basket raffle, or just offering your condolences and a shoulder to cry for those extremely affected by the tragedy.
7. You're involved in almost everything at your school:
8. You know what everyone in your grade is doing after graduation:
With being so small in class and school size, you pretty much figure out whateveryone is doing after high school. Sally is going to Penn State for chemical engineering. Bobby is enlisting in The Navy. Frank is still working at the local store and is going to community college. Whatever it is, you know what people are doing.
9. Someone in your graduating class is likely going to the same college as you:
10. When you go to a well-known school out of state, people are impressed:
Most kids in your school go to a college in state , but when you leave the state is when people turn an ear. It almost fills you with a sense of pride that someone was able to get the attention of a school out of state. When teachers found out I was going to Seton Hall they were surprised. I’m one of the only students from my school to attend Seton Hall (there’s someone from the class of 2014 that goes to SHU, but I’m not sure who it is). Even more surprising was hearing that the valedictorian was going to Ohio State. Yes, she was the valedictorian but the fact that she was going to a Big Ten school that wasn’t Penn State was surprising.11. You form a close relationship with your teachers:
With the school being so small, along as the classes, you get to know your teacher well and they get to know you well too. They start to pick up when you’re having an off day and if something is bothering you. You start to pick up on it as well the more you have them and soon you find yourself hanging out in their room and ranting about your day. You and your class end up having inside jokes with the teachers. You end up having those “you had to be there" moments which occur on the daily. They are the people you miss the most when you graduate and the first people you see when you come back for college breaks. They also write amazing recommendation letters.
12. You'll always be connected to your school:
Coming from such a small school, you pretty much know someone in every grade. You’ll still be kept in the loop of what’s happening. You’ll still stay in touch with your friends that are in college, even the ones you weren’t that close with. You’ll have a lot of your teachers as friends on Facebook and still keep in touch with them about how you’re doing. Coming home for football games and seeing old friends is like a five year reunion even though it's been four months since you last saw them at graduation (or maybe a month depending on how close you were). That schoolpride that you had never truly leaves and you’ll still find yourself secretly looking up how the football team as well as all the clubs you were involved in. When you come back to visit, it almost feels like you never left. You’ll be there to see your underclassmen friends graduate, just like they were there when you did.
One day you'll back at all the benefits of going to a small high school and realize that you wouldn't have changed any of it.
