I was the high school senior who was ready to graduate, but I was also ready to expand my horizons, meet new people, and move beyond the limitations that can come along with high school.
I wanted to study a relatively small major that isn't commonly offered at large state schools. As I watched my friends get acceptances from big state schools, I waited. And toured again. And waited. I realized that I wasn't going to know anyone going to the universities that I had narrowed my search to. As my acceptances came in, it was clear that my high school friendships were going to quickly become long distance.
The small school feel isn't for everyone, but it was exactly right for me.
The first time I got the small school feel was when my admissions counselor personally called me to congratulate me on my acceptance and talk to me about the next steps in becoming a student. Almost two years later, he still remembers me by name when we see each other around campus.
I found a school where my largest class still has less than thirty students, and my smallest class has three. My professors know me as a student and a story, instead of a face in a lecture hall. When I visited a state school, I was shocked to see the professor get a microphone before the lecture.
Here, the entire campus is within 10 minutes walking distance from end to end. A car isn't a necessity, and a large population of the students live on campus. I don't have to worry about finding an apartment in the college town or scheduling classes across campus with a ten minute break between them.
For me, the small school is its own world. I know my professors, each of my sorority sisters, and even the people I pass every day on the way to class.
It was hard to see so many of my friends moving in to the same schools and living lives together, but I knew that wasn't the college experience I wanted. I love those friends, and I want to keep up those relationships, but I knew I wanted to be a different person at college graduation than I was at high school graduation. Going to a school where no one knew me, I got the opportunity to leave the labels and expectations that I earned in high school.
Even though people may say that I'm "missing out" on a big school experience, I visit my big school friends every one in a while. I know the chants for their football team, I've learned to navigate my way around campus, and I've even made it a routine of stopping in when I drive home.
I've found a balance between the big school and small school experiences, and I'm grateful for the experiences I've had and the friendships I've kept.
To anyone who is thinking about going to a small school away from their high school friends, take it into consideration. As I said, it isn't for everyone, but it's a decision that I'm happy with.
