Being a transfer student from the beautiful Westminster to the exciting University of Utah has had its ups and downs. Here is what the world looks like from a Westminster-transfer student’s perspective:
1. Overall Size
First, I must say that the nickname “Westmini” is indeed accurate. Westminster’s total enrollment consists of approximately 2,692 students, while the U holds around 32,000. My class size was around 400 or 500 people—just a little bit bigger than my high school’s graduating class. On one hand, this made it much easier to meet and get to know people; I met some of my closest friends there, and there wasn’t a day I didn’t see a familiar face while walking to class. However, it was also easy to get caught up in drama because it was so small—since everyone knows a lot of people, it was fairly easy for rumors to spread around. It’s definitely been an adjustment walking around the U all day and perhaps only seeing one person I know, but I have to admit, sometimes the anonymity is a nice change.
2. Class Size and Format
The classes at Westminster are, for the most part, much smaller than most classes at the U. Undergraduate class sizes range from 15-30, but some can be as small as 10. At the U, classes can consist of well over 100 students. As students begin taking upper division courses, class sizes decrease significantly. Classes, at least in my experience at Westminster, were generally more discussion based, while the U has a combination of both discussion and lecture. I like how the U’s classes are a mix of lecture and discussion. There is definitely more variety, which keeps the classes a little more interesting.
3. Student Involvement
Perhaps the biggest difference between the U and Westminster are the opportunities for student involvement. Although Westminster had an adequate selection of clubs and organizations to join, the U has more options. From Greek life, to student government, to archery club, there are over 600 academic, athletic, and social clubs for students to join. In my first month at the U, I have been very impressed with the plethora of organizations they have available. They also have a vast array of study abroad and internship programs; Westminster’s range was, unfortunately, much more limited.
Overall, Westminster and the U have pretty significant differences, but I consider myself lucky to have experienced both schools. I was granted the opportunity to have, as the infamous Hannah Montana would say, the best of both worlds!