Many people leave high school hoping to go to a division I school with 50,000 students to move on from their small home town. When I made my decision to go to Creighton, a small Jesuit school in the midwest, I expected it to be exactly like high school. I expected everyone to know about everyone else's business, to never be able to escape from a past that would soon be created, and to never really have any fun. Fortunately, none of that turned out to be true (for the most part). There definitely are some amazing things and some seemingly terrible things about going a small school for college. Here I have lined up my top pros and cons.
Pros
1. Its super easy to find your classes.
And they are extremely close. Creighton has around 10 buildings that most students regularly use besides residence and dining halls. While it was very confusing the first week of my freshman year, I can now navigate my way around campus with my eyes closed, not to mention in around 10 minutes. Getting out of bed less than 30 minutes before my class starts is probably worth paying twice as much for private school than those at state school. (Ha)
2. (Most) People are extremely welcoming.
Creighton has an entire week dedicated to welcoming new students and helping them get oriented to the college lifestyle. Everyone is extremely friendly right off the bat. No matter who you are, there will be people waving at you and saying "hi" on campus. There's no "popular" crowd that was in high school, everyone is accepted and invited to join the fun.
3. Class sizes are perfect.
The average class size at Creighton is around 20 students. I actually had a class last semester with 10 students. Yes, this does mean that the professor will notice if you don't come, but he or she will likely know your name and welcome you into their office to talk. Getting to know other students in the class is helpful too. Being able to talk to your fellow classmates and study together is a really useful tool, and makes it easy to meet new friends. You retain material so much easier in this environment.
4. You see your friends every day.
No matter how much of a hurry you're in, you will run into at least three of your friends on the way to class. It's great to be able to keep up with friends so easily. And they probably care about you. You don't get lost in the 40,000 people on campus, so you'll be able to find a friend group that you really fit in with and care about.
Cons
1. You see everyone you don't want to see.
Guess what. That person that you really can't stand? They're in your philosophy class. In a bad mood? You will run into the chirpy people that want to have an hour long conversation. You will pass every boy you've ever talked to on the way to class when you look your worst (but of course when you try to look your best, the cute boys disappear).
2. Everyone knows who you are.
Most faces on campus at least look familiar. Everyone knows someone who knows you, even if you haven't personally met. So that means they probably know your life story and everything you did last summer. There is no escaping the embarrassing things you did on a Saturday night because someone saw and so everyone knows. This also means that you and some of your friends are double dipping on the same boys if you know what I mean.
3. Everyone is at the same place at the same time.
There's a party this weekend? Well expect for there to be around 2,000 people there because word travels fast. People are excited to finally leave that tiny bar right next to campus for a house party. It's hot, it's sweaty, it's a weird mix of people, and it's probably not even that fun.
If you ask me, the pros absolutely outweigh the cons. Small schools are definitely the way to go for the perfect college experience where you can learn easily, socialize with your professors, and meet lots of friendly people.
