As I scroll through my Facebook newsfeed in the months of September through May (and even some stragglers in the summer), I’m constantly confronted with pictures of girls all in heels, jeans and crop tops at bars, or boys in tan shorts and button down holding a red solo cup in their frats basement. I see girl’s pledging for sororities and pictures from huge college concerts. Part of me longs for it, wishing I could be a member of Phi Sigma Sigma or Gamma Phi Delta…but as I reflect back on my freshman year at my school, I realize I don’t regret picking a school of 2,000 kids instead of 20,000. Here’s why:
The teachers know your name. Being able to walk up to my teacher at the end of my class to ask them a question about my assignment and having them know exactly who I am. There’s no introduction needed, and plus they already know how I write/work. It makes getting help a little less stressful. You also build a personal bond with your teachers, so when things go wrong you’re not afraid to call them. Last year when I was having some issues medically, I knew that I could go tell my teachers what was wrong.
There is always some one you know. If you’re like me and you hate going to eat by yourself, lucky for you…there’s always someone in the dining hall you know. They may not be your best friend but they’re a familiar face and it makes eating much more comfortable. The same thing applies to school events, and even just walking to class. There’s not a morning where I’m walking to class without saying high to at least 5 people. It’s always nice to see a familiar face instead of 200 unfamiliar ones.
It’s easier to work. While I don’t mind parties, I know that if I lived on a campus with huge sororities and frats I wouldn’t ever get anything done! I’d spend every day at parties or school events and my grades would totally suffer. I like being able to go out on weekends, but not feel that pressure to go out on a Wednesday because all my friends are. Plus, the small number of people makes it easy to find seats in the library (except during midterm and finals week where everyone wants to be in the library). I know that if I really indulge in that party lifestyle, I could always go visit one of my friends.
Attendance is counted. I know to most people that sounds so inconvenient but to me it’s ideal. I know that a policy where I didn’t have to show up to class means that I probably never would. Ensuring that I have to be in attendance to my class helps because I’m learning the material in the classroom as well as in the textbook. This helps not only my grades, but also me in the long run because I know I cant just not show up to a job when I’m older.
It’s not a total battleground when registration comes around. Some of my friends who go to larger schools have to get up at like 5 A.M. to register for classes in hopes of getting into the classes they want. While my school is still a little competitive, it’s a nice luxury to be able to sleep in until 9 A.M. and still be able to get into the classes that I want.
My campus is tiny. While I know some people have to take a bus just to get from their class back to their dorms, I never have to worry about that. My tiny campus allows me to walk from class to my dorm in about 2 minutes. This allows for extra sleeping time in the mornings or extra time to get ready. The only place I ever really have to walk is the dining hall, and even that takes about 5 minutes, at max.
Campus events are personal and a little quirky. While other schools are having Fetty Wap play at their giant summer festival, my school is having bonfires, inflatable obstacle courses, pizza tasting and wing eating nights. Instead of standing in the sun for 4 hours fighting someone because they pushed me at a general admission concert, I’m laughing at my best friends getting thrown off the mechanical bull.
While I could honestly go on for hours, I think I should draw the line here. So for anyone who is feeling a little self-conscious that they didn’t pick a huge school to attend, remember that college is what you make of it.
