Saint Leo is a beautiful school and there is no doubt about it. When you mention Saint Leo University to someone they say "Oh, that's a beautiful campus" (if they've heard of it). But there's the occasional student that will make comments such as "Ugh, why did I choose Saint Leo over a bigger school?"

I cannot give that person that exact answer they're looking for, but I can remind them of why Saint Leo University is the best school for us, and why it has become our home.

1. Campus is small. It's impossible to walk to class without seeing at least three familiar faces.

Unlike bigger schools, Saint Leo has a tight-knit sense of community, which is also one of our Core Values (go figure!) I can't think of a single time walking to class without seeing someone I've met from class, professors, members of my sorority, or just friends I've made on campus within the past two years. Seeing familiar faces everywhere you go is awesome because you know you'll always have someone to smile at you, or just brighten your day a little bit. At bigger schools, you can walk miles to your classes and not see a single person that you recognize.

2. Professors know you by name.

This is something that really stuck out to me while touring Saint Leo. The classes are small so the professors actually know you. With having small class sizes, professors pay more attention to you and care about your success in their course. At a bigger school, classes can have up to 600 kids in them. That's crazy! At Saint Leo, we are allowed to be attention hogs and demand a lot of attention and support from our professors because, hey, that's what they're there for!

3. There is always free stuff.

If you attend Saint Leo, then you know that we are always given free stuff. Whether it be free food, tee shirts, school supplies, novelty items like coffee mugs, a free festival for the whole community, or snowtubing in the bowl for free, it's very easy to have fun and not spend money at Saint Leo!

4. You can leave your dorm room unlocked and have peace of mind.

Being an RA, I don't recommend leaving your door unlocked (ever) because then it's your responsibility if stuff gets stolen, but Saint Leo is home to students who respect each other and respect other's property. Sure, your sorority sisters might come in your room without telling you (to surprise you), but no one barges in your room and steals stuff. It is extremely uncommon. This being said, if you forget to lock your door, it's not the end of the world.

5. When you go out, you know everyone.

It's the same concept as when you're walking to class, but even more so off campus when you're at Docs or Ralph's. When you're out at Doc's for college night and you're "lit", you're not lit alone. Chances are, everyone there knows who you are, and you know everyone there. Knowing who you are surrounded by makes for a sense of comfortability when out for a fun time. You're not worried about your ride leaving you, because you know anyone there would be willing to drive you back to campus if need be. Knowing majority of the people at parties, bars, or gatherings makes for a more fun time with less awkward standing around waiting for a friend to walk by to talk to.

There are so many perks of attending Saint Leo, and I am so grateful everyday to be a Lion and have so much opportunity that Saint Leo has provided me with. If you're ever questioning why you wanted to go to a small school in the middle of nowhere, remind yourself that there's no place like Leo and you're happy you chose such a great campus to be your "home away from home".