Colleges:
Big and Small
"The size of the student body and the campus, as well as the overall scope of the school, are key factors in determining a college or university's educational environment" (Superpages.com 2009).There are thousands of colleges in the world. Some near home, some out of state, and many out of the continent. Alike, colleges come in all sizes also. There are some universities who populations are tens of thousands, and then again there are also even more colleges that have a very small population. There are many up sides to going to a huge college vs. a small one, and vice versa. The perks to going to a large college would be the certain experiance of being apart of a giant population and meeting an enormous amount of people. The campus would also be much larger, thus being more classes and opportunities. Many would prefer a smaller college because it would be a more intimate experiance. People would not have to be so worried about getting lost between classes, and there would be less students per teacher, making the learning experiance a lot better. Though the two types of schools, some being larger than others, might have an enornous amount of differences, they also have much in commom.
Going always to college is a very exciting experience and there is a certain thrill being on your own for the first time. Out of high school, many students really want to jump into the swing of college head first, although many do not know what to expect. There are many students who would love to have their college years at a big college, with a big campus, where they can see new faces everyday. Also, thanks to such a massive number of students that go to and went to a large university, that ensures that college to be financially stready. Going to a big school is a great committment that many are not ready for. "You need to be a go-getter, who is not afraid to speak up, and take advantages of the opportunities a big school has to offer" (College Board 2009). Luckily, because these huge school offer so many different classes, a student can find their true passion by taking up new interests.
On the other hand, there are also several advantages to going to a smaller college. Firstly, it would be less hard to find classes because the school would be a lot smaller. Another point is that many private colleges are small because it is harder to get into those certain types of colleges. Rather then cramming over 80 students into a lecture hall, a small, private school provides and much more intimate student-teacher relationship. "students have incredible access to professors and can create individualized programs of study" (Superpages.com 2009). This way the teacher can actually learn everyones name and differenciate everyones work, and not have to rely so much on TA to grade for them. "On almost every level, small private colleges outpace public colleges. Public colleges will give you a good education for a cheaper price. In education, like so many other things in life, you get what you pay for" (Teal). With this said, by going to a smaller, private college, a student with benefit more because it worth spending the extra money on a good eduation, that will be used in the future.
Whether, big or small, colleges of all sizes both have several disadvantages, benefits, and, even, similiarities. Obviously, by going to either a big college or small college, a student is still going to study what they are passionate about and strive really hard to learn. Also, a student can get scholarships from either type of school, regardless if the school is big or small.
"All in all, every school has its own personality, just as people do. You may be a small school person, you may not. But if you think you might have it in you, go for it. The advantages FAR outweigh the pitfalls" (Weatherby 2006). In short, there will be an on-going list of reasons why a student should go to what college. What it really comes down to is wherever the student feels in their comfort zone and feels confident in going to a new world of education.
Reference List
College Board. 2009. "Sizing up colleges: big vs. small." http://www.collegeboard.com/student/csearch/campus-life/37003.html
Superpages.com. 2009. "What are the advantages of a large university?" http://www.superpages.com/supertips/what-are-the-
advantages-of-a-large-university.html
Superpages.com. 2009. "What are the advantages of a small university?" http://www.superpages.com/supertips/advantages-of-
a-small-university.html
Teal, Allen. "The benefits of small colleges." Helium. http://www.helium.com/items/721143-the-benefits-of-small-colleges
Weatherby, Whitney. 2006. "Advantages of a small school experience." Whit & Wisdom.
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