I had this image of what college was supposed to be like - big classes (I'm talkin' 200+ people), an even bigger school, with intense football rivalries and an even more intense student section. Professors saw you as a number, not a name, and you only saw that really hot guy every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in English class. Friends came and went, and if they happened to leave, you'd probably never see them again anyway. If you ventured off campus, the likelihood of seeing someone you know is one-in-a-million (or one in *insert student enrollment number here*).
Boy, was I wrong.
Granted, Midwestern State is a relatively small school compared to my initial image of college life. But even with approximately 6,000 students on a 255-acre campus, you'd think it would be possible to go one day without seeing someone you know, right? Wrong. I can promise you that over the last year that I've spent here, I've seen someone I know or at least recognize every single day. And I'm not just talking about on campus - even when I go into town, there's someone I know there, too (shoutout to Walmart for being college kid central). My "big" classes are roughly 100 people, but I STILL have several friends in them, and dozens of familiar faces.
Our "intense rivalry" is with Tarleton State University, but it pales in comparison to the longtime Texas A&M and UT rivalry. And if you happen to have "that really hot guy" that you'd normally only see in class, you'll see him everywhere (which, you know, is not necessarily a bad thing).
You're a name to your professors here, not a number. They will take the time to help you if you need it, and I think that's what makes this university special. I mean, I called my English professor, Dr. Kristen Garrison, by her initials because we're on such close terms. In fact, I still go visit her, even after being out of her class for a year now (and I shout "Hey KG!" every time I see her on campus, too). That's definitely something unique to MSU.
I wasn't sure if I would actually like the small school culture, but it's grown close to my heart. I like knowing that when I walk across campus, I'm going to see a friendly face. I like that we all know each other, or know OF each other. It makes MSU feel a little more like home.
Unlike my original judgment of college, the friends you make at MSU don't come and go - my sorority sisters are my girls, my freshman roommate will always be precious to my life, and my quality friends, (you know who you are) the other pieces of my heart. I'm not saying that the friends at other universities aren't like this, because I am sure that they are. But if you do happen to have some of those friends who need to go, well, you'll probably see them again if you go here. Sorry.
It's a small world, after all.
