We've all wondered what the real difference is between a college and a university. A college is smaller- in student and faculty population, as well as class size. A university, in comparison, is much larger in size: far more students and faculty, much larger classes, and a bigger campus.
I chose a small school called Curry College, with a student population of less than 3,000. If your school is anything like mine, you'll relate to these signs you go to a very small college.
1. Your professors know you by name.
At a small college like Curry, not only do your professors know you by name, you develop professional relationships with them. When they see you around campus, they will greet you by name. Sometimes, you may even get onto a first name basis with your professors.
2. You actually know the people you see around campus.
At large universities, where student populations can exceed 30,000 and the campuses are sprawling, rarely will you pass a familiar face or a friend when walking on campus. At a small college, it is the complete opposite.
When walking on a small college campus, you will at least recognize most people you see, if you do not know them personally. In fact, pretty much every student you walk by you will either know by name, or by their face. This means for a lot of saying "hello" on your way to class. Knowing the people you are attending college with is comforting, and builds a community feel. Rarely do you see a complete stranger, and if by chance you do see someone you've never seen before, you are immediately curious as to who it is and where they came from.
3. You know everyone, actually.
4. You know the campus like the back of your hand.
Not that you can't know the campus like the back of your hand when at a university, but the small college campus makes it a lot easier. By the end of your freshman year, or even beforehand, you will most likely know where everything is on (and off) campus, and will be able to give directions no problem.
5. It only takes five-ten minutes to walk to class (if that!)
At a large university, it can take a twenty minute walk or more to get to class, or any destination really. At a small college, you can probably cross the entire campus in under fifteen minutes. The less time spent walking in the snow, the better, right? Also, when you roll out of bed after hitting snooze a hundred times, you can still make it to class on time!
6. You have like ten people in your classes.
Unlike large university lecture halls filled with hundreds of strangers, a small college classroom has a remarkably low roster, usually hovering about 15-20 students per class, per professor. This entails you at least know almost everyone in your classes. This means that you will be noticed if you are missing from class one day.
7. Word travels fast.
Whether the word that is traveling (gossip, rumors, whatever it may be) is true or not is irrelevant. At a small college, the smallest word-of-mouth (true or otherwise) can become a known fact to every student on campus. It's like a giant, never-ending game of telephone. When you've heard it through the grapevine on campus, it's been twisted, turned, and may even be an outright lie, as was the case in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. This means that if someone throws up on the quad on Saturday night, literally every person on campus will know by Monday morning.
