When I was selecting a college, I didn't know a lot of things. I especially didn't know what it was that I was looking for. However, the one thing that I knew for sure was that I did not want to put up with a class where I felt lost in the crowd; where it didn't matter if I felt like going that day or not because nobody could tell. A smaller class size was important to me because I was determined to work to my fullest potential in college and I wanted a more personal environment to make that happen.
Eventually, when I decided that Point Park was right for me, I based it on a lot of factors. One of the biggest of these was that it was a small school. I mean a really small school. I didn't necessarily know what this meant before I moved in.
I pretty much know that every day I'm going to see some of the same people. This has a lot to do with the fact that I am a freshman and I live in the same building as half of the other freshmen. Honestly though, I can pick up on patterns by which I bump into the certain people at certain times. Some people would really hate this, but to me it's comforting. I am not very fond of change, and I was nervous about coming to a place where I really knew no one. This has helped me to get to know some people, or simply to recognize them.
Today I woke up at 9:15 for my 9:40 history class. I literally got ready in 15 minutes and made my way to class. This is because all I have to do is take an elevator and walk through a little tunnel. Every place that I go to for class is walkable in 15 minutes or less. The only obstacle I face in getting there on time is the elevator in my building. This makes my life really easy and I'm usually never late. One of the benefits of a small school is that there are less places to go, so there are less ways to be late.
Certainly I'm sure going to any small college has its downfalls. If you attend Point Park or anywhere comparable in size, and you do not participate in clubs or sports, you would have a rough time. Yes, my school does lack some of the things that larger schools have, but I have the city of Pittsburgh at my disposal. I have no excuse to be bored. I am in two clubs and on dance team, which keeps me busy and has made me friends I never expected to have. But on my downtime, I can take a walk to the point, take the shuttle to Oakland, walk to Market Square, or take a bus to the South Side. I have done so many things since I moved in that used to be activities I only got to do once in a while. There may be people who don't even know what my school is, but that's okay. I'm very happy with my choice and I'm proud to live in such a supportive, tolerant, and growing environment.