Should you attend a large university or a small college?
This is a big question that many high school students are asking
today. To help clarify a few points, we have added the
following definitions:
University: A group of colleges that offer degrees at all
levels, Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degrees in various
subjects.
College: A stand-alone institution that tends to offer
Bachelors and Associate degrees in various subjects.
For more detailed information on various colleges and
universities, refer to the links at the right. Admissions
criteria, costs and more are covered for many different schools.
Large Vs. Small Universities
By
David Lithman
Whether you are a senior in high school picking out a college or
already an underclassman at a university and looking to transfer,
you still want to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of
your size school. I went to a state university that had over 46,000
students, but I’ve had friends who attend small private schools with
5,000 students. I’m going to take the next few paragraphs to list
some of the pros and cons. This is all based on my opinions and my
personal experiences at a big time university. My assessment of
small private schools might be off because I have never personally
attended one.
Right off the bat when you think of a big university (Texas, Ohio
State, University of Florida) you think sports. One of the major
advantages of going to a large university is their athletic
programs. If you are a sports fan, then attending a Division I
football school might factor into your decision. Televised games,
pep rallies, homecoming parades, and rivalries are all part of
attending a large university. However, you do not have to love
sports to go to a D-I school. There are thousands of students at
large universities that want nothing to do with sports, and that’s
ok because there are plenty of other things to do.
Large schools also come with large libraries and media centers.
There are plenty of places to study and plenty of computer labs to
get your work done during class. I used to go to a computer lab
(there were hundreds of computers in there) in between my classes
and surf the web or complete my homework from the night before. At a
small school there may only be one library and it might be too far
out of your way. At a big school, there’s a library, study hall, or
computer lab on every corner.
Food is another advantage of attending a large university. They
have several dining halls and not to mention Dunkin’ Donuts,
Starbucks, Chik-Fil-A, Taco Bell, Pizza hut, and basically every
other fast food joint you can think of right in the middle of
campus. You can get food anywhere. And the dining halls actually
have eatable food. They don’t serve Helda’s three day old meatloaf
and peas. We had freshly baked omelets with bacon and pancakes every
morning. I bet you can’t get that at Flagler College.
Some other quick advantages of a large university are the social
aspects (fraternities and sororities, intramurals, clubs, student
government, and so on). Most universities have a distinguished
faculty that know what they are doing. Another advantage is there is
on-campus housing for freshman (and sometimes sophomores). This
gives you to opportunity to wake up 10 minutes before class starts
and walk there in your PJs.
Some disadvantages of a large school are the enormous sized
classes. It’s likely you can have a class with 900 people. No matter
what you say or how many questions you ask in class, the professor
won’t know your name. Many classes are taught by Teacher’s
Assistants, which means you are not getting as high a quality as you
would like. At a large university you are just a number to some
people, and you can get lost in the crowd. Finally, all professors
think they are hot shots and care more about their own research than
helping students.
Small universities on the other hand have smaller classes. These
smaller classes may put more emphasis on learning and hands-on
experience. I have never attending a small university but most
likely they have more individualized majors. It is not a set
curriculum that thousands of people follow every semester. With
smaller classes students are able to get to know their professors
better. This is great from when its time to find letters of
recommendation. Try getting a letter from a teacher when you were
just one of 900 students in the class.
Another pro for attending a small college is the advisors know
the students very well. Try seeing an advisor at the college of
liberal arts at a major university. They see a hundred kids a day
and won’t ever remember your name or what classes you’re taking.
Also, there is a greater sense of community at a small school. You
aren’t just a number on an ID card, here you are a person with a
face and a name.
If you have any more questions about university size, feel free
to email me at collegesos@yahoo.com
http://collegesos.blogspot.com/
I am a recent graduate of the University of Florida. I am
currently employed full-time but it is my desire to help incoming
and current college students. It is my goal to help all students
have a better college experience by giving them the advice they need
that college advisors can't give them.
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