To anyone who’s ever attended a small university, you know that all of your friends at Big Ten schools are constantly asking questions about what it’s like to go to a school with less than the population of a small city. Our college experience is certainly radically different than yours, but for every downside of small universities, there's a positive twist.

1. Everybody knows everybody.

The first item on the list acknowledges the fact that you can’t go anywhere on campus without running into someone that you know. Now depending on who you know, this could either be a welcomed feature of your school or it could end up driving you insane. But hey, at least you’ll have a friend to sit by in class—in every class—and a network of instant friends.

2. “Ring Before Spring.”

For those of you who are unaware of this phenomena, “ring before spring” is the time period during the first semester in which the entire male population at private colleges decides it is the right time to finally pop the question and propose to their girlfriends. If you’re one of the lucky ones that ends up engaged by the end of this mayhem, then this just might be the highlight of your college career.

3. Professors actually know your name.

One of the blessings and curses of private universities is that most of your professors will know your name by the third week of school. On one hand, this makes it almost impossible to skip class. On the other hand, this means you can start building an invaluable relationship with your professor, which can launch you into future success.

4. There is 0 privacy.

Let’s be honest, going to a small college is a lot like going back to high school again, where everyone gets stuck in each other’s business. You basically can’t breathe without someone noticing. The upside of this is that you know that you’ll never have to go through something alone.

Just because small schools don’t have the largest student sections at football games, or the hundreds of majors offered at state universities, we do have our own unique charm. So yes, even though going to a small college can prove to be a challenge sometimes, we all know that we wouldn’t trade it for the world.