Is a small school or a big school better for you?


When choosing a college to attend, you’ll have a great deal of aspects to consider. The size of the campus is a major differentiation point for many students. You might spend time trying to decide between attending a small college or tossing yourself into a large institution. Paying heed to your personal interests is what will help you make the best decision for yourself in the end. To help you make this decision, here are some of the areas that differentiate the two types of schools.

Course options

Big schools have larger faculties with numerous departments. This means there are more courses offered in many disciplines and subjects. You’ll have many options to choose from when deciding your majors and minors. Big institutions can also offer dual-degree programs. The learning experience here is expansive and you can test out many subjects before deciding on what suits you best.
While smaller colleges have less course options, the individual attention and guidance available will help you choose a suitable course for yourself and receive a quality education.

Class size

In a big school, there are bigger classes, sometimes with hundreds of students present for lectures. As a result, student-teacher interaction is highly limited, and it might even be impossible to ask your questions during class.
Classes at a small school are usually more compact, thanks to the smaller student population. Here, there’s a more intimate setting where students can easily interact with their professors.

Extracurricular activities

Thanks to a large diversified student population, a big school has numerous extracurricular activities. There’s something for everyone here. This is even made better by the fact that big schools have international students.
Small colleges will likely have fewer choices for activities outside the class. On the positive side, this gives you a chance to get a place and shine in your activity of choice, since there won’t be a big crowd jostling for slots.

Libraries and academic resources

The bigger the student body, the bigger the library. The bigger the library, the more the available study materials. Some big colleges and universities even have multiple libraries on their campuses. This is because of the many faculties and departments that they have to cater to. Here, you’re assured of getting whatever material you need for your studies. Smaller schools often have smaller libraries, and as such, limited material.
With their large student and faculty staff population, big schools will have numerous academic affairs involving speakers, panels, and career days. These resources are also offered in smaller schools, but they are more limited.

Social life

In a big school, the large population of students translates into vibrant campus life full of events, activities, competitions, and other opportunities that will allow you to forge new social ties. You are likely to meet a new person each day on campus. In a small school, you’ll most likely get to recognize everybody with time, since there are not as many students. Events bringing students together might be scarce too, meaning that campus life will not be as energetic as in a big school.
Both school sizes have their set of things to offer, you simply have to decide which type of college experience you want.

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