College is all about living life and learning new things. Here are a few things I've learned from a campus that has less than a thousand students.
1. The most brilliant minds are often overlooked.
Everyone has seen the "brainiacs" of the class. The people that sit in the front row, always answer the teacher's questions (even the rhetorical ones), and brag about the A- they got on the last test. However, the real geniuses are always hidden. They could be the most quiet one in the room, but they're secretly just rolling their eyes because they already know everything the professors are talking about.
2. There is no such thing as popularity.
Sure, some people may have "more friends," but that doesn't make them any more liked than the person standing next to them. In reality, "popularity" depends more on how you treat others than how many friends you have. Those social butterflies may know more people, but that doesn't mean more people like them.
3. No matter how hard you try, you will never have secrets.
Everyone on a small campus knows everyone else, or at least knows of them. If you tell one person, you tell everyone. Most of the time you don't even have to tell one person, people will just assume on their own. Yes, things can be private, but anything that people find interesting will never be kept quiet. If Joe and Sally start dating Monday night, everyone on campus will know by Tuesday morning, whether they were ready to tell people or not. Essentially, your business is everyone's business. Which brings me to my next point.
4. The ish talk is real.
Especially with the creation of anonymous apps such as YikYak, the trash that people talk gets spread really easily. Every girl you know will either be called a slut or a prude, and every guy will be either a hero or a butt. No matter how much of a good person you are, something negative will almost always be said about you.
5. Everybody loves everybody (kind of).
Even though people will talk mad ish about you, they'll usually be nice to your face. There will always be people there to help you out or stop the trash talking. Everyone will be willing to help you with a project or to jump start your car in the winter. Every campus has those people that are willing to go the extra mile to help you out, and a small campus is no different. It's even more prevalent on a small campus.
6. Professors know everything.
They may not always act like it, but most of the professors on a small campus are about as caught up on the recent gossip as the students. They always know what's going on, and whether or not that's a good thing is yet to be determined. You will always have that professor that knows the gossip and isn't afraid to give you a hard time about it. You're always going to have that professor that acts like your best friend. Even if you think the professor doesn't know your name, they can tell when you're having an off day, week, or semester.
7. Sports are always going to be there.
Most students on a small campus are athletes, and some of them are two or three-sport athletes. When the football team has an away game, half of your class is gone for lecture on Fridays, and classes get canceled when your team makes any kind of championship game. There will always be the more popular sports, like football and basketball, but even the less popular sports are well known on campus, and typically well supported. Everyone is happy when the teams are winning, and will be at the games to cheer them on. Every coach makes it "mandatory" to attend other events, even though everyone was planning to attend anyway. Being a well-supported student-athlete is one of the best feelings in the world, and even non-athletes get into the athletics.
And finally,
8. Knowing everyone is a good thing.
I may have been making some negative points about knowing everyone on campus, but in reality, it's one of the most convenient and helpful things about small campuses. As my colleague Niki Nelson stated, college is where you find your forever friends. However, just because you aren't best friends throughout college, it doesn't mean they won't mean the world to you later on in life. They can end up being your neighbors or colleagues, or even just someone you end up needing at some point. Your professors end up being your godsend, because they help you get into grad school or land the best job possible.
Overall, I'm thankful for my experience on a small campus. I appreciate every single student I meet, and I wish them all the best with their future endeavors. I'm thankful for the professors, coaches, and advisers that want me to succeed. I love my small campus and would not trade it for all the money in the world.
