If my family and friends were to tell me four years ago that I would be going to a college ¼ the size of my high school, I probably would have laughed at them.
However, I am ultimately grateful for choosing a small school as it has opened up doors for me that I would have never seen myself treading through. Four years ago I had no idea what field I wanted to be in after school ended, but it is because of the relationships that I formed here that I know exactly where I want to go and who I want to be. Small schools have impacted me the most through the following reasons:
1) It’s personal
I’ve had classes as small as 4 people, including myself. Professors know me by name, they know my goals in life, and they help me reach them. You know almost every student in your major; you know who has taken a class before you and how you can ask for advice if you are struggling. People care about you, and not just other students. At a small school, you feel cared for – from the nursing staff to facilities, people will know you by name if you talk to them. Even so, Salisbury is such a small town that the community-centric support system continues even off-campus. For instance, churches have opened their doors to provide students with meals and students have sent personal letters to a professor’s home address if they have not been feeling well. Senior, double major in accounting and economics and finance, Cole Middleton remarks on these personal relationships by saying, “Being at a small school I have been able to have a personal relationship with my professors, which has allowed me to branch out into other parts of the campus environment, like being a tutor and an SI leader. Without these personal connections my college experience would be greatly different.”
2) It holds you accountable
On the note of everyone knowing everyone, you have to do your work at a small school. Professors will reach out to you if you are not doing your work but teachers will also reach out to you if you are doing a fantastic job in their class. Also, if you are struggling in a class, and you need help your professors will be there for you if you reach out to them and show that you want to put in effort for their class. The faculty, and staff, that I have met have done everything in their power to help me become, essentially, a better me and they take pride in seeing their individual students shine. Plus, since you will eventually know most of the people in your classes, other friends can hold you accountable for assignments you may be struggling with or that you may have accidentally forgotten, because college.
3) It provides you with endless opportunities
In a big school I may have never had the chances for success, and personalized training for the real world, that I have had at Catawba. For instance, who knows if I would even be currently writing this editorial, as Editor-in-Chief, if I were at a larger and, most-likely, more competitive school. Senior, and executive president of Catawba, Blake Brewer remarks that, “As a first generation student, Catawba has afforded me so many opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise had. I’ve been able to build great relationships with faculty staff, and peers that will last a lifetime. Even more than that, Catawba has enabled me to grow mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. I wouldn’t be where I am without the influence and support from all those within the Catawba community. This place has truly built me.”
It is because of these three reasons that my perception of small schools has been changed entirely. While my college experience has certainly had its fair share of highs and lows, the positive and formative experiences that I have had unquestionably assure me that I made the right choice 4 years ago to come to my Catawba.
[This editorial is featured in the Fall 2016 Print Edition of the Catawba Pioneer.]
