I am a student at Southern Virginia University. We pride ourselves in being a small liberal arts college. SVU uses the phrase "the genius of small" to express this. Here are a few reasons why I love this small school, and how being small can make a big difference.
Everyone probably remembers the flurry of mixed emotions that came with being dropped off at college as a freshman. You are excited to get away from your parents, make new friends and start your own life. Along with that, you were probably nervous about what professors were like, unsure of how to actually do things on your own (like laundry), and worried that you wouldn't make friends. All of these things were running through your head as you were guided from one orientation activity to the next, which can all be a little... well... disorienting. This was at least my experience when I came to SVU back in August. Even though I tried to stay optimistic I was honestly afraid that it would be just like the disaster that was high school. That is when I realized the first facet of the "genius of small."
In my first week, there was not a single time that I was on campus and didn't see at least one person that I knew or had at least seen before. I was amazed by the amount of waves and smiles that I got while I was just walking to lunch. That's one of the great things about a really small school--there is always someone you know, and eventually you kind of know everyone. If I ever started feeling alone or homesick in my first week, I only had to sit by the koi pond in the middle of campus and wait for someone to come talk to me because they always would.
My next worry about college was that the classes were going to be really challenging and the professors would be apathetic. This was also busted in the first week by the glory that is the "genius of small." Because the student body is so small, the classes rarely have more than twenty students in them. This means that your professors know your name and you can't just slip in to the background. One of my professors even scheduled five-minute get-to-know-you interviews with each of her students. In my interview, she asked me about where I was from and how I was liking the school. We ended up talking about how I used to do ballet and she got her degree in dance history. This same professor wrote me a fantastic recommendation for a position in student government. This is just one of the many stories I have about how small class sizes and close relationships with professors has helped me succeed.
In high school, I was not involved. I was terrible at sports and had very little interest in any of the clubs at my school. I thought that when I got to college it would be the same old story. I was under the impression that I would do my schoolwork and sit in my room. I was dead wrong. The thing about a small school is that if there is something you are interested in, there is room for you to join in the fun. Midway through the semester I found myself in Social Dance Club, The Underground Writing Club, Service Committee, and acting in one of the scenes for the directing class. I looked back and thought to myself, "When did I become the kind of person that does things?" A few weeks later I was talking to one of my friends about it and she said that on her first day one of the seniors had said to her, "My one piece of advice to you is that it is really easy to get involved in way too much here, make sure not to spread yourself thin." My friend laughed at the memory because she had the same thoughts as I did at the beginning of the semester. The "genius of small" is that when you are a part of building something, especially something small and near to your heart, you find yourself doing everything you can to make it the very best it can be.
So many people have a mentality of "bigger is better" but I like small. I know it has its downsides. Sometimes it can be a bit much to know everyone and have everyone know you, but, overall, small is comforting, encouraging and inspiring.
Hopefully, you can see the "genius of small" that I have come to love.
