The truth from someone who has been to both
Everyone knows there are major differences between small schools and big schools. People often take these differences into consideration when choosing their college. We’re here to share the experiences of someone who has transferred from a big southern school, to a small school in New England. Here are some of the major differences:
1. How often you will see people you know.
At a small school you will literally see at least 5-10 people you know while walking to class. Every single day. It’s pretty much impossible to ever go a day without seeing people you know around campus. Meanwhile at a big school you can go weeks without seeing certain people unless you make actual plans to see them. Take this into consideration if you’re trying to avoid someone; at a small school it’s almost impossible.
2. How long your walk to classes will be.
At a small school your walk to class will probably be 10 minutes at most (perfect if you’re lazy like we are), whereas at a larger school the walk could be 30 minutes, and could even involve a bus ride.
3. How much people will know about you.
At a small school, people are going to know a lot more about your life than you want them to. This happens because everyone knows someone who knows you, and people love to talk. At a big school, most people you know don’t know each other,so it’s a lot harder for gossip to go around.
4. How well you will know your professors.
At a big school it is very likely you will be in classes with over 100 students. In a class this big it is almost impossible for professors to get to know you (let alone know your name). At a small school your classes will probably cap at 30 students so you will get to know your professors much better. Because of this, you can’t really hide in the back of the room like you could in a giant lecture hall.
5. The amount of school spirit.
One of the biggest differences with a small school vs. a big school is the lack of school spirit at a smaller school. At a big school with a big football program and a big stadium, the level of spirit for all the sports and events is so much higher than at a small school. People just get way more into the sports when there are so many more people to support the teams.