<p>Let's talk about some of the advantages/disadvantages of being at a small university as opposed to a bigger university.</p>
<p>I'll say that a bigger university (your state schools) is good because there are a lot of people, a lot of diversity, and there is usually a broader range of activities.</p>
<p>A disadvantage is that -- and I've said this before -- big universities have a peaked high school feel which, if you're anything like me, the last thing you want is to be back in high school.</p>
<p>That's funny that you say a big university can feel like high school. A lot of people have nicknamed my school OCU High. We have 3000 people (including grads and law students), and apparently there's a lot of drama, though I haven't noticed all that much. I enjoy it though, because you come to know a whole ton of people. I'd say I probably know at least 10-20% of the undergrads here, and I've only been here one semester. There's only four dorms (soon to be 5) and 1 big apartment complex, but most people under 21 live on campus, so you see the same people all the time. There's also only one cafeteria, so you eat meals with everyone, too. The downside to that is that besides the cafeteria, we have a small cafe, and that's it for food. </p>
<p>I think the best thing though, is that we get really individualized attention from our teachers. My largest class has 40 people, and it's apparently one of the biggest (if not the biggest) class on campus. My smallest class has 5 people, and the average is about 15 students per class. All class are taught by full professors or adjuncts who are all working professionals in their field - I don't think there are any TAs here at all. This does mean attendance counts, because people know if you miss, but I like that, because it shows they care, and it eliminates people who are just kind of drifting through college. I highly recommend a small college environment.</p>
<p>I don't see how you can say they feel like HS. There's way too many people, there's no drama between groups, people tend to stay within their larger social construct (ie there are specific "greek" bars), but at the same time - at least at my school - there's a fair amount of mixing. I'd think a smaller school where you knew everyone, or were at least within two degrees of everyone (you have at least one mutual acquaintance) would feel a lot more like HS. </p>
<p>If your saying that big universities are "cliquey" because of the greek/non-greek thing or that athletes party with athletes, or whatever, I guess I can see it, but I tend to doubt there is the sort of antagonism that takes place between cliques in high schools. Further - again this is just my personal experience - but most people recognize by the time they get to college that you can be part of more than one group...plenty of people in the Honors Program at my school were also in a fraternity or a sorority. I got to know a ton of athletes in my classes, became really good friends with one of the decathletes and even dated a swimmer for a while. I had plenty of people I saw in classes on a regular basis because I was pre-med, but also another group in my sociology classes (my major). Sure, most of my friends were in the Greek system, and especially my friends who were either older or younger than me (essentially, not in my classes) are almost entirely greek, but there were still almost 3000 students in the Greek system and so it wasn't as though I was close to knowing everyone. There were entire sororities that my chapter never even partied with. </p>
<p>As far as other advantages to a big school other than ones you mentioned - there's instant recognition for the schools in the big athletic conferences. Even if I go to a different part of the country, people will have some semblance of an idea of what my school is like. I don't have to explain that I went to a small school in northern Iowa or no, I went to UW-River Falls, not Madison. I don't have to say, "well even though you've never heard of it, it's a really good school".</p>
<p>^On a recognition note, my school, though a university, specializes in performing arts, and is internationally known for producing good talent. We have some really famous alums, too, like Kristin Chenoweth and Kelli O'hara, so recognition is not strictly reserved for big schools. (And we don't even have a football team!)</p>
<p>But wow, bigredmed, 3000 Greeks?! That's bigger than our undergrad population! I think we have less than 300 Greeks...</p>
<p>Nearly all our sororities (13 out of 14 - the thirteen with chapter houses) are all about 130 members...but that's just one of the things that can make greek life a very unique experience at each school...</p>
<p>OK, about a big uni feeling like highschool...</p>
<p>I'm in HS now, and everyone calls the flagship state uni 13th grade. I think a lot of times, people get in their head that if they go to the state uni, they will always be hanging out with people they knew in highschool, and the cliques would be the same, and the classes wouldn't be hard and yadda yadda.</p>
<p>The truth is, I think Big State U is only 13th grade if you make it be. The reality is a big school has 20,000+ undergrad - you don't have to hang out with your HS friends at all! Not to mention, people in your dorm will definitely still want to get to know you. Part of the thrill of going to college for everyone - yes, even the people going to state uni - is meeting new people and seeing new things. I also think there are so many more opportunities to get involved on campus than in HS. Plus, if you use ratemyprofessor, the classes can be challenging, too.</p>
<p>I agree with groovinhard--Big State U is only 13th grade if you make it that way. There are 35 students from my graduating class (out of 220) that attend my state school, and I only hang out with one of them. I see 2 or 3 occasionally and the rest I haven't seen at all. The one I hang out with is in my major and we have most of our classes together. There's nothing wrong with hanging out with your "high school crowd" in college but I love getting out and meeting new people every day.</p>
<p>my school has 27000 students in it. thats 5 times the size of my HS. Not one person from mY hs goes to my university, same with my roomate. Both came from huge NYC High schools.</p>
<p>re: it's only 13th grade if you make it. Believe that if you want, but I go to a big state uni, and there's a lot of stuff that affects me that I'd change if I could.</p>
<p>A lot of times it feels like high school because, uh, it has similar components...namely students who have been taught that meeting deadlines and "turning it in" is more important than learning and understanding. That math is more important than English (reading and writing).</p>
<p>I agree jason, it seems like the "smartest" people (i.e., those with the highest GPA's) are really just the people best at manipulating the system, not the best at learning and understand and certainly not the most intellegent by cultural and real world standards.</p>
<p>I have friends at small private schools that are more concerned with deadlines and turning stuff in than learning. It doesn't apply to just large schools. Everyone is different--some think a big school is alot like high school. I think a small school is alot like high school. I had a class in HS of 220 and alot of my class dispersed after graduation to small colleges with a freshman class of 200 to 300 students--just like high school. Probably 30% of them are transferring to bigger schools because they either 1) See kids from our HS class every day, 2) Don't like the general lack of diversity, or 3) Would rather BE at the big sporting events than watch on TV. There are other reasons too but they don't have to do with the HS aspect of things.</p>
<p>I love my big school because
1.) I love being anonymous in my gen ed intro courses that I'm not interested in
2.) Being able to talk with profs after class one on one (Which can also be done at smaller schools; it just seems to take more initiative to make yourself stand out from a larger crowd)
3.) Sitting next to someone new everyday
4.) Big time sports
5.) When I look at the calendar and see that it's filled with a wide variety of campus activities to keep me busy</p>
<p>I could go on...but I'll save you the reading. Personally I love big schools and can't imagine myself at a smaller one. Others love small schools. It all depends.</p>
<p>PS--I went to a really small elementary school and moved to my school w/ a class of 220 in 7th grade--went from 30 in my class to 220, and immediately felt more comfortable in the bigger school even though before then I'd liked my small class.</p>
<p>^You will find those kids anywhere IMO. A bigger proportion in state schools probably aren't serious about their academics due to admissions criteria...but then there are more people at state schools, so there should be plenty who aren't like that, right? Not all of us can afford Williams or Yale. I know many people who are smart and dedicated to learning going to the state uni - in fact those people with the most creative minds, who learn to learn and not for the grade, don't have such hot GPAs and so will end up at the state uni, too.</p>
<p>I don't know why other people's attitude towards learning should have an affect on you. I'm in HS and a lot of my classmates just want to turn stuff in. Some people with high GPAs are only drones who spit out what the teacher wants. So what? How does that affect your work? Your attitude towards learning?</p>
<p>To me a state school is more like the real world, not like HS. A big mix of people, and it's up to you to carve a spot out in it for yourself and be true to your values, and to seek out the like-minded.</p>
<p>That's just how I've always looked at it, anyway.</p>
<p>True that the humanities programs are pretty weak at my state school in comparison to engineering. But I don't doubt this isn't so much a factor of size as it is what the school's speciality is.</p>
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I have friends at small private schools that are more concerned with deadlines and turning stuff in than learning. It doesn't apply to just large schools. Everyone is different--some think a big school is alot like high school. I think a small school is alot like high school. I had a class in HS of 220 and alot of my class dispersed after graduation to small colleges with a freshman class of 200 to 300 students--just like high school. Probably 30% of them are transferring to bigger schools because they either 1) See kids from our HS class every day, 2) Don't like the general lack of diversity, or 3) Would rather BE at the big sporting events than watch on TV. There are other reasons too but they don't have to do with the HS aspect of things.
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<p>This is a red herring perception. HS, in my opinion, doesn't suck primarily because of the size of the classes, but it's just the mentality of the teachers and the students. </p>
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groovinhard
Junior Member</p>
<p>Join Date: Oct 2005
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<p>^You will find those kids anywhere IMO. A bigger proportion in state schools probably aren't serious about their academics due to admissions criteria...but then there are more people at state schools, so there should be plenty who aren't like that, right?
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<p>Not necessarily. Maybe Seniors and Grad students.</p>