Through my time at Linfield College, I have learned to love all that a small liberal arts school has to offer. When I first went on college tours and began to think about my future, I never imaged myself at a small school. Being from a small town, I thought I wanted to go far away to a big school, something totally different from how I had grown up. Although this all sounded exciting, when I started touring schools I realized how much I loved the feel of the small liberal arts school and all it had to offer. The big school with the huge lecture classes started to sound less appealing and the small school with the 11:1 student teacher ratio started to get my attention. I can honestly say I have never once thought of transferring since I began studying at Linfield College, and I feel so lucky to have found my perfect match. I have summed up some of my favorite things about small liberal arts schools, and Linfield in particular, below.
The Small Class Sizes
At first this one scared me off, but once I started taking classes at Linfield I realized how much I benefited from small classes. It was comforting to have classes the same size as I did in high school, or even smaller. It has given me the opportunity to bond with my peers and build a stronger relationship with my teachers that would otherwise be difficult.
The Student to Teacher Ratio
Instead of sitting in a lecture hall of 100 plus students, I feel confident in knowing my teacher can match my name to my face. Although this can be a good and bad thing—bad in the sense that teachers actually notice when you miss and will ask you the next day where you were, oops—I believe it has had a great impact on my success as a student. Instead of feeling like a number in the grade book, I feel as though my teachers are there to help me improve and actually want me to succeed.
Core Classes
Every liberal arts school calls them by a different name, but essentially these are the classes required of everyone to take before graduation. These classes are meant to give each student a glimps into different fields of study to help create a well-rounded student. From art to religion, history to language, these classes cover a vast amount of topics that students can choose from. Although it can be challenging to fit in all the classes required to graduate, they can be very interesting and help student learn about more than just what is covered in their major of choice.
The Short Walk Across Campus
One of the perks of a small liberal arts school includes the guaranteed 5 minute walk to any class, anywhere on campus. If you're running late, you can still count on getting to class in time if you leave yourself time for a 5 minute walk (or less!). This short walk also usually includes running into at least 5 people you know because lets face it, at a small school theres a pretty big chance you'll always run into someone you know.
The Vast Amount of Student Athletes
Linfield is proud of the fact that 40 percent of students are student-athletes at Linfield. This creates a great atmosphere in both the college community and the McMinnville community. Sports are encouraged and teachers are incredibly understanding if a sports conflict comes up and a deadline must be changed to accommodate. Being involved with sports at the DIII level is an amazing experience that I would highly suggest. When I began to consider colleges, I never once thought of continuing to play in college until I started to look at the different programs and realized how much fun it could be at the DIII level. Don't get me wrong, it is still competitive and intense and you're expected to work just as hard, but the stress of playing for scholarships and sacrificing education are exempt. It's a great way to meet some new friends, stay involved, and continue to be physically active.
To conclude, I absolutely love where I go and I wouldn't change it for the world. Going to a small school has given me so many opportunities to grow and build relationships I probably would not have been able to otherwise at a large school.
