Whether you’re a senior in high school choosing a college or a freshman at a college and looking to transfer, you still want to know the pros and cons of your size school. I went to a state university that had over 46,000 students, but I have had friends who attend small private schools with 5,000 students. I am going to take the following paragraphs to list some of the pros and cons. All of this is based on my opinions and my personal experiences at a great university. My evaluation of small private schools may be wrong because I have never personally attended one.

Right off the bat, when you think of a great university (Texas, Ohio State, University of Florida), you think of sports. One of the main advantages of going to a great university is its sports programs. If you are a sports fanatic, then attending a Division I soccer school could influence your decision. Televised games, rallies, homecoming parades, and rivalries are all part of attending a great college. However, you don’t have to like sports to go to DI school. There are thousands of students in the big universities who want nothing to do with sports, and that’s okay because there are so many other things to do.

Large schools also have large libraries and media centers. There are many places to study and many computer labs to do your work during class. I used to go to a computer lab (there were hundreds of computers there) between my classes and surf the web or complete my homework from the night before. In a small school there may only be one library and it may be too far out of your way. In a large school, there is a library, study room, or computer lab on every corner.

Food is another advantage of attending a great university. They have multiple dining rooms and not to mention Dunkin ‘Donuts, Starbucks, Chik-Fil-A, Taco Bell, Pizza hut, and basically every other fast food place you can think of in the middle of campus. You can get food anywhere. And the dining rooms have edible food. They don’t serve Helda’s meatloaf and three-day-old peas. We had fresh baked omelettes with bacon and pancakes every morning. Bet you can’t get that at Flagler College.

Some other quick advantages of a great university are the social aspects (fraternities and sororities, intramurals, clubs, student government, etc.). Most universities have distinguished faculty who know what they are doing. Another advantage is that there is accommodation on campus for freshmen (and sometimes sophomores). This gives you the opportunity to get up 10 minutes before class starts and walk around in your pajamas.

Some disadvantages of a large school are large class sizes. You can probably have a class with 900 people. No matter what you say or how many questions you ask in class, the teacher will not know your name. Many classes are taught by teacher assistants, which means you are not getting the quality you would like. At a large university, you are just a number to some people and you can get lost in the crowd. Lastly, all teachers think they are good and care more about their own research than helping students.

Small universities, on the other hand, have smaller classes. These smaller classes can put more emphasis on learning and hands-on experience. I have never attended a small university, but they most likely have more individualized careers. It is not a fixed curriculum that thousands of people follow each semester. With smaller classes, students can get to know their teachers better. This is great since it’s time to find letters of recommendation. Try to get a letter from a teacher when you were only one of the 900 students in the class.

Another advantage of attending a small university is that the advisors know the students very well. Try to see an advisor in the liberal arts faculty of a major university. You see a hundred children a day and they will never remember your name or the classes you are taking. Also, there is a greater sense of community in a small school. You are not just a number on an ID card, here you are a person with a face and a name.

If you have any further questions about college size, feel free to email me at [email protected]

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