“I go to Point Park.”
No one says that. No one can say that. Unless you’re in a job interview in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Even then, you might get that stare. The stare that says “I have no idea what that is, but that’s nice.” It’s usually just a simple, “I go to school in Pittsburgh,” or “It’s a small college no one really knows.” It gets me out of explaining my tiny school to people who know Pennsylvania for The University of Pittsburgh and Penn State University, shockingly not the only two universities in the state. With many schools gathering in the Pittsburgh region, it’s surprising that people don’t know more of them. But the same could be said for the myriad of colleges and universities across the country that you only know about if you’ve looked into them or are an alumnus of.
There's a lot of pluses to going to a small school like Point Park. You get to really know your professors, call them by their first name and your classes are smaller than some of my high school classes were. My best friend even knows the Dean of Students because he taught one of her classes. We have such a small campus that I can leave my dorm at 9:35 to get to my 9:40 and still have a few minutes to spare. We don't even have classes on Fridays, except those who are COPA (Conservatory of the Performing Arts) students (dance, acting or theater) or those who choose to have Friday class.
But trust me when I say that everything is not all rainbows and sunshine at a small school. One of the biggest problems with going to such a small school is that most people have no idea what or where the school is. There's a rare occurrence when someone gasps and tells you that they too went to your school, but by rare I mean it's kind of like catching a Ditto on Pokemon Go. I know someone that goes to Kutztown University, but to be honest, have you ever heard of Kutztown, Pennsylvania? What about Gannon University? Point Park was my dream school, but at what cost did I chose to attend a school that's not as well-known as Pittsburgh makes it out to be?
There's a few more, minor problems that come with the small school territory. Seeing the same people every day, never getting a computer at the computer lab so you can print a paper minutes before class starts, everyone gathering at the dining hall and cafe at the same time every day and not having nearly as many options of on campus dining as some larger schools. But those aren't that bad, you get used to it after a while and jokingly complain about it to your roommates and friends, though sometimes it doesn't feel so joking.
I love living in the city and I love Point Park, but there are a few downfalls that I sometimes wish weren't a problem. But having to explain my small college in a future job interview doesn't make me wish I went anywhere else.�
