Finding your Campus Community
As a high school senior deliberating whether I wanted to spend the next four years at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, class size was an important factor. The prospect of joining UW-Madison’s 50,000 student population felt overwhelming. I’d only ever attended small schools and my freshmen dorm had more residents than graduates in my high school class. Prior to my college application process, I’d envisioned myself at a smaller school and my second choice school had only 2,000 students.
Small colleges can offer more focused advising. Smaller class sizes mean more intimate relationships with classmates and professors. Ultimately, I was won over by the opportunities afforded by a large university. I was excited by the endless class options and hundreds of student organizations. And as a junior, I’ve had enough experience navigating the system to learn how to get what I want out of my education. Big schools like UW-Madison allow space to pursue different interests and explore different communities. It took some trial and error, but after three years I’ve gathered some tips on how to make Madison feel small.
1. Seek out your advisors
I think it’s a huge misconception that big universities don’t have the capacity to offer personalized advising. It is true that your advisors will be working with several other students and when enrollment rolls around my advisors can get booked. You have to take the initiative to meet with your advisors, but I fully believe that it’s worth it once you do. I feel that my advisors know me well as a student because I prioritize meeting with them at least once a semester. Even during times they’ve been booked, they’ve always been accommodating to my schedule and will carve time out of their day to chat with me. Another bonus about going to a large school is that you will likely have multiple advisors, so the chances that you can’t speak to at least one of them are low. As a double major, I have both a political science advisor and an English advisor. I also have access to several career and study abroad advisors on campus. Even if you don’t have questions about graduation requirements, I still suggest seeking them out. My academic advisors have been able to get me into competitive classes, offer advice on which professors to take, connect me with networking opportunities and even provide stress-relief management tools. Madison feels so much smaller knowing I have people in my corner rooting for my success.
2. Take small classes
As a quiet, introverted student, I’ve come to unexpectedly enjoy my huge lecture halls. I’m the type of student that enjoys listening to what others have to say and big lectures take the pressure off of performing for participation. But, I feel much more connected to my campus community through taking small classes. The perk of going to a large university is that you have access to literally thousands of different courses. Some of my favorite classes have been my creative writing workshops, which is typically limited to only 15 students. These classes give me the opportunity to get to know my classmates better and to facilitate deeper conversation around my schoolwork. After taking a few workshops, it’s been really rewarding to run into my creative writing classmates on campus. Having some familiar faces around, even if I’m not best friends with them, makes campus feel a lot smaller.
3. Find the right clubs
This seems like an obvious one, but choosing the right club can be really helpful in making college feel smaller. I, along with many new students, thought I should join the biggest clubs UW-Madison had to offer in order to maximize my chances of making new friends. I’ve learned since then that these clubs often don’t meet regularly because of how large they are. When I would attend these meetings, I was uncomfortable with the crowd and would withdraw into myself. I found that I much preferred smaller clubs that met regularly and I’ve been able to make much more meaningful connections in this way. Everyone has different preferences, but I recommend joining a club that has some sort of project or goal to work towards. I’ve found that this direction allows for more natural bonding opportunities between club members. You don’t have to be besties with the people in your club, but I find surrounding myself with people with similar interests to be comforting on a big campus.
Making connections and finding your community in a big university takes time. Don’t rush it— find the joy in the process of discovery. With time and effort, even the largest campus can start to feel more like home.