My bulleted reasoning as to why you shouldn’t be so quick to reject the “bigger school” environment and maybe even embrace your state university.
why we are so quick to say no
Like majority of the students who stayed in state for college, the idea of having to tell everyone at orientation that I was yet another 18-year-old Connecticut kid coming to the University of Connecticut was by far the least appealing thing to me as I applied to schools on the Common App during my senior year of high school. Frankly, I only applied here because of free application day. By no means did I think UConn wasn’t an impressive institution, but having spent the entirety of my adolescence here, I was ready, in my mind, to explore outside the tiny state, not believing that the hour-and-a-half drive from home would be far enough to warrant real personal growth. My sights were always set on somewhere exotic and exciting, like New York. And against my mother’s wishes, my real dream was to eventually make my way to New York City, which to a girl raised in the sticks was the epitome of culture and society.
I think, like many young teens, going away is so appealing because you get to be someone new, somewhere new. It is my belief, perhaps this just pertains to me, but that we delude ourselves with this expectation that we will totally be able to handle being a flight away from home. But for me, even the hour and a half seems a million miles away at times from my family and old life. It is natural to want to expand your horizons and move far away from home, not because you want to escape, but because internally you want to see if you can do it. I was so sure for so long that this was the last place I wanted to be, regardless of its endless opportunities provided that it’s a state school and the ambiance of school spirit, but being here almost two years now, I can’t picture myself anywhere else.
vast oppurtunities
The biggest difference I have found coming to a larger campus than the ones I originally toured as a prospective student is the opportunities provided to students. With over 20,000 undergraduate students, there are 700+ organizations/clubs that are available to be explored at UConn. As someone who came in to school particularly introverted with raging RBF (Resting Bitch Face), I was scared I wouldn’t be able to find a community I would flourish in but with the multitude of programs within the university, I found my niche.
Outside of just recreational clubs, being on a larger campus has allowed for the pursuit of both on-campus jobs to earn the much-needed cash of a broke college student and gaining experience to boost that resume. Speaking of resumes, there are several opportunities to attend career fairs on campus, which serve as a great way to meet companies and employers early. As a business major, something I never thought I would be, having these windows to network and explore the professional possibilities within my major makes me feel far more confident in my future than I think I would have been attending a smaller institution.
growing outside your comfort zone
As I stated before, I came into school by no means a social butterfly; in fact, I was quite the opposite, preferring small crowds and secluded areas to be wholly independent of people. So, as you can expect, coming to such a large campus in both physical size and population opposed to significantly smaller liberal arts colleges I had always intended to go to was very much a culture shock. And while I can’t lie, when I had my first introduction in Gampel Pavilion a week into my freshman year and looked around at the 10,000+ individuals just within my graduating class, I did briefly think, “I’m going to transfer.” But instead of allowing my nerves to control the trajectory of my future, I decided to allow this to be my opening to expand my horizons beyond my innate impulse to keep my circles small. I needed the push of being thrust into a substantial sphere like that of UConn.
One of the ways I challenged myself to do so was by going through recruitment and joining Greek Life. As someone who played competitive sports my entire life, rushing was by far the most stressful experience I had ever experienced. Granted, I did nothing to prepare for it and willingly went in blind, so that is partially my own fault. Regardless, despite my initial hesitation, I found a group of women who I actually do feel like match both my values and character, and some of whom have become people I couldn’t imagine my life without.
You can do it too
I was the last person most people I am close to ever expected to come to a large school, especially one in my home state of Connecticut. But, by what I see as divine fate, I ended up here and have gained academic, professional, and personal growth, as well as been given the opportunity to meet so many people I never would have found if not for being here. I understand the uncertainty of many to consider giving the big state school a chance, but as someone who swore for years that they’d never be a Husky, I can say, with complete conviction that I definitely sound like a walking promoter for UConn, that I cannot see myself in any other environment than this.