When I transferred from St. Olaf College to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, I had no idea what to expect. I was going from a school of about 3,000 students to a school with over 50,000. One thing that I wasn't expecting was to love the U so much. There are a lot of perks to attending a big university.

1. There is always something to do.

With tons of clubs to join, restaurants to eat at and buildings on campus to explore, I never run out of things to do. The opportunities at a big school like the U are truly endless.

2. There's a lot of free stuff.

Schools like the U offer more free events because they have a larger number of students to appeal to. Every Friday and Saturday there are free movies in Coffman Memorial Union. There's always somewhere on campus giving out free buttons or pens. When I attended my transfer orientation, I left with two free t-shirts, a free water bottle and a free backpack! Who doesn't love free stuff?

3. There are lots of courses (and majors!) to choose from.

If I didn't attend the U, I never would've been able to declare a creative writing minor or take an "Intro to Editing and Publishing" class. When it comes to choosing an elective for a requirement, I can choose the one that most appeals to me. Instead of being stuck taking chemistry for my physical science requirement, I can take "Earth and its Environments." I love having access to thousands of different courses.

4. Sometimes you have a class with 100+ other people.

I know some people hate this, but I love it. I enjoy when my professors don't know my name because it lightens the burden of my social anxiety. I know my professor can't just call on me out of the blue, so I can relax and focus on taking good notes.

5. Even though it's a big school, you can also have classes with less than 20 other students.

All of my classes at St. Olaf were tiny--something that I thought I'd never get to experience again after transferring. Surprisingly, almost all of my classes have been intimate, with less than 20 students and professors that know my name within the first week.

6. The teachers and students are incredibly diverse.

I've had several teachers who are in the process of getting their Master's degree and other teachers with their PhD. I've sat in the same room as undergraduate students, graduate students, and students who have travelled from all over the world to attend the U. Diversity is beautiful.

7. You always see new people around campus.

This is great because I can wear sweatpants without fear of running into a million people I know. There's nothing worse for an introvert than seeing people and having the awkward "Hey how are you?" conversation while passing on the sidewalk.

8. The resources offered by a large university far surpassed my expectations.

The U has an on-campus clinic and pharmacy, free on-campus counseling offered as group counseling and/or individual counseling, free career-preparation offered through courses, pamphlets, job fairs and an entire portion of its website dedicated to helping undergrad and grad students find jobs, as well as countless other resources that I'm probably not even aware of.

9. Everyone has heard of your school.

When I went to St. Olaf people would say, "Where's that?" but with the U, everyone knows where it is and at least one person who has gone there. I love that my school is well-known.

10. There are plenty of great friends waiting to be found.

On a campus as big as the U, there is always someone who can relate to whatever you're going through, who loves the same music as you, or who has a mutual friend with you. Making friends at a big university is wonderful because there are so many different types of people.

Even though my list ended up being only ten points long, I know there are many other perks that didn't make the list. Before I went to college, I was dead-set on attending a private university. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that attending a big university is the best decision I've ever made!