Deciding where you are going to spend the next 4 years of your life is really one of the first big decisions that you have to make for yourself. From weighing all the pros and cons of a several colleges to knowing how far away you want to be from home, this decision will shape you as you truly enter adulthood … I know, scary!
Being from Maryland, I knew that I wanted to go away for school but not too far where I wouldn’t be able to come home for a weekend to see family and friends. I also knew that I wanted a place to feel like my “home away from home”, where I could make lifelong friends, grow as a person, and be confident in my academic abilities. In my opinion, I feel like the best route for success is through a smaller institution. So, if you’re struggling to decide which school is for you or if you are not really sure if your current school is the one for you, here are 5 perks of going to a small school that you won’t necessarily experience at a large college.
1. Academics Come First
I know this can sound boring, but college is really all about finding what you enjoy and incorporating that into your studies to set yourself up for an amazing career. At a small school, you are able to find a better balance of making your academics a priority because you don’t have certain temptations that would otherwise lead you down an unwanted path. By being surrounding by people that are most likely similar to you, you can find your people that encourage you to be the best you can be!
2. Small Class Sizes
I would say the best thing about going to a small school is the fact that you don’t have any particular class with 300+ other students. This allows you to not only make friends with people in your classes to either study with or hang out throughout the day, but your professors see you as a person and not just a number. Along with academics coming first is having a solid relationship with your professors who understand who you are and what your needs may be – they are always willing to lend a helping hand in and out of the classroom because they genuinely want to see you succeed.
3. Small Campus Vibes
Let’s be real … who wants to walk around a huge campus to get to classes, friends, food, etc.?! I’m all about exercising, but sometimes it’s nice to just walk out of your room and be only a 5-10-minute walk from any building or parking lot on campus. Especially in those winter months, be extra grateful for your little home!
4. Having a Familiar Face at Any Corner
On those days where you are feeling stressed or down about something going on in your life, hearing a “Hey!” or getting a big smile and wave from people I know while walking around campus literally makes my day. It doesn’t matter if they are your best friend or a friend you have or may have had classes with, you can’t go 5 minutes without running into a friendly face.
5. Finding your People
Every friend group has their moments of weakness or you drift away from people in your life while in college, but the friendships that you do come out with after graduation will always be a part of your life — no matter how far away you end up being. To put it in perspective, the girl who hosted me in my senior year of high school is one of my best friends almost 5 years later AND the girls in my pod freshman year (s/o to 3D) are still some of my closest friends. While finding “your people” is easier said than done, when they do start to make themselves known, you will feel extra grateful on those days that you’re feeling down, because they will be right there to pick you up.
Not every day is perfect, but that’s the beauty of life. You are always going to be faced with a challenge that you either choose to overcome or let it overcome you no matter what school you go to. But at the end of the day, having a place that you can count on makes all that stress of school, relationships, and personal defeats just a little bit easier.
Thanks SVC … for being my home away from home.
HCXO,
Sam