If you were to break higher education down into two categories, which two would you choose? Bland choices like good and bad, public and private stand out. But perhaps the correct bland choice isn't really so bland as it is telling- small and large. Most people can summon an image of a stereotypical huge university football game to their mind but what comes to mind when thinking of a small school? Is it a peaceful campus situated in the remotest region of the state or perhaps a quiet library filled with studious pupils studying their nights away? Is it a close-knit community of diverse yet like-minded individuals enjoying their education or is it a small fraternity of party animals getting together every weekend for bashes?
Personally I believe that everything has multiple sides, schools included. They aren't simply held to one standard or representative of one nature or characteristic. My school is small by most standards and is therefore understandably different from larger institutions in the state. Just because we can't throw an eighty thousand person bash every weekend doesn't diminish our spirit however.
Some of the particular advantages I enjoy stem from the very fact that our campus is a small one and not overflowing with thousands of strangers on a daily basis. Eighteen-hundred people or so may seem like a large number to keep up with in terms of individuals, however I truly do feel like I can walk into any room at any time and know at least three students and more than likely the professor teaching as well. Camaraderie and the friendships are truly the best part of going to any school, besides of course the educational value, so being able to virtually ensure plenty of those two characteristics can only be advantageous.
Going to a small school is just as much like being in a family as going to larger collegiate institutions, perhaps even more so. We can rally behind our sports teams as much as any die-hard Gamecocks or Florida State fans and we have the added benefit of having our own little campus community as opposed to an extended family network of over forty thousand students and staff. Sure, small schools have tons of alumni too, but when yours are still involved and still show up to events and still on campus fifty years later, you know you've found something special.
If knowledge is power, then knowing people must be pretty powerful as well. Humans are social creatures and making business connections is also important, however the simple knowledge that I can walk around completely at ease and in my element on campus thanks to the fact I can strike up a pleasant conversation with just about any student or faculty member is truly awesome for lack of a better word. There's virtually no anonymity, and while you won't be able to skip classes without the professor knowing, you'll make friends for life and share a bond with all of your classmates.
