Comparing and Contrasting Schools College is where someone makes their life. It is where they choose what they want to do with the rest of their lives and where they study whatever their desire in order to put themselves in a position to be successful in the future. For a college experience, one should hope for a place that best suits them and a place where they can be successful. Sonoma State and San Diego State have many similarities and are both great schools. But these similarities and differences can make or break the college experience depending on the students’ desires. Jennifer Carcamo describes why she went to school, “School became my second home because of my troubles at home” (L.A. Youth 2008). College can be an escape for people, whether it be from trouble back home or other occurrences. That is why it is important to choose a great school. Though Sonoma State and San Diego have many similarities, the differences are the essential key to choosing whether to attend a big school or a small school. Attending a school with many students has its pros and cons. San Diego State is one of the largest schools not only in California, but in the nation with an astounding enrollment of 34,500 students (San Diego State University). This would yield to a very high student to teacher ratio. That kind of ratio could be valuable for the people who like to be more incognito and part of a large group, or dreaded by those who wish to have a more personal relationship with their teachers. This is not a problem at the small liberal arts college of Sonoma State which has an enrollment of 8,000 and a much lower teacher to student ratio (Sonoma State University). These are prime examples of differences that can influence a potential student’s choice of college. Another notable difference would be the geography. San Diego State is and urban campus in southern California, and opposed to the more suburban campus of Sonoma State in the wine country of northern California (CSU Schools). There is more to do socially in San Diego such as the night life or its close proximity to the beach. But some people may enjoy the slower lifestyle up north at Sonoma. The differences between these schools are very evident and should be taken seriously when thinking about where to apply to. Though there are many differences between the schools, there are also many similarities. For example, both schools are under the California State University systems in terms of academic admission (CSU Schools). This means that the academic requirements to be accepted to these schools are the same and that it levels the playing field in reference to being accepted to either of these institutions. It is the only way to give everyone a fair chance of going to the school of their choice. Also, both schools with regards to enrollment have a wide variety of master’s, bachelor’s doctorial, graduate and undergraduate fields (San Diego State University, Sonoma State University). With so many choices for a student’s academic future, it does not put constraints on any possibilities of future job fields. This allows the student to reach his or her full potential by studying what they actually want to study and not what they think will help them the most or which one will look the best on a job application. So, it is clear to see that though there are some significant differences, there are just as many similarities which make it difficult to choose between the two schools. The big school and small school comparison is one that has been around for a long time and by the looks of things is not looking to be extinct anytime soon. San Diego State and Sonoma State are two great schools that have similarities and differences which make them unique in their own ways. Maybe a student would like the urban, beach experience. Or maybe they would prefer the smaller, quieter experience. That is why it is so crucial to weigh the pros and cons when thinking about what college to attend because it is a decision that will affect people for the rest of their lives. Works Cited Carcamo, Jennifer. How I Choose the Right School. November-December 2008). Wikipedia, Sonoma State University. 18 November 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Sonoma_State_University Wikipedia, San Diego State University. 18 November 2008. http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/San Diego State_University#History Cal State Universities. 19 November 2008. www.calstate.edu.search_find/campus.shtml |