After attending a small college and then going to visit friends at larger universities, I've begun to see some differences. Small schools are not for everyone, I can promise that. There are pros and cons to it and for some, the cons outweigh the pros. Personally, I love my tiny college, flaws and all. Can anyone relate to this list?
Pro: You can't get lost on campus.
It's practically impossible to get lost on a small campus once you learn your way around (which takes a week or less). If your school is anything like mine, there's one main building for classes, so navigation is real simple.
Con: Everyone knows EVERYTHING.
It's really not their business, but they know it anyways. No one knows how they know, but word travels fast at a small school. Good or bad, everyone will know your news about 5 hours after it occurs. Sometimes they know before you do!
Pro: Class isn't a long walk/drive from your dorm.
We all live on campus, so we don't have to drive 15 minutes to get to class. It's only a 5 minute walk, up a major hill at TMU, but nonetheless, still just a 5 minute walk. So oversleeping isn't as big of a deal because we don't have to fight traffic in the morning; just grab your backpack and head out!
Con: There's less to do on campus & in town.
Because the school is so small, there's not much to do on campus most days. And if your college is like TMU, it's in a tiny town too. So yet again, nothing to do even off campus. Which isn't always horrible because that means less distractions, but sometimes it would be nice to be able to do stuff without driving 45 minutes to do so.
Pro: Professors are better.
To them, you're not just another number. They actually care about you and your grades, so they're most likely more willing to help you. Also, they are often more than just professors. They become mentors, counselors, Bible study leaders, and sometimes your "grandma". (Shoutout to Dr. Lombard!)
Con: Less majors offered.
The path may seem a little more narrow at smaller schools. Less courses are offered for less of a variety of majors. But no worries, they're adding more and constantly growing! We'll catch up one day!
Pro/Con: The classes are smaller.
For me, this is a huge PRO! However, some would disagree. To me, this means more time to answer personalized questions and understand the material. If a professor has 300 students in a class, they won't have as much time to help each student that has a concern. If there's only 60 students, it's not as difficult. Some students would rather hide in a large crowd, but I think it benefits a student academically to be in a smaller class.
Con: It's harder to avoid people.
Of course there's going to be people that you don't like or have beef with, so logically, the solution is to avoid them altogether. It's a little harder to do that when the crowd is smaller and you probably have at least one class with them (and the class has 30 people in it). It's not completely impossible, just a little more challenging.
Pro: You get to know more people.
It's easier to make friends when you begin to recognize the same faces over and over again and slowly get to know them. You'll likely have classes in common with a variety of people more than once, so you'll have the opportunity to befriend them easily. It sorta feels like high school in that sense.
Pro: This is HOME.
It's not just a big city that happens to have a school in the middle of it. This campus is small and quaint, but it's personal. It feels like home.
Overall, attending a small college isn't that bad. I actually love it. Like I said before, it's not for everyone, but it's most definitely for me. I'd rather be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond any day.
