Small University vs. Large University

Hello and welcome back to my blog! I hope you are enjoying the beautiful summer weather and (if you are in college/uni) enjoying summer break. Due to my recent surgery, the "Day In The Life" vlog series on my blog will be post phoned. I decided to make a post about the differences between a small university and a large university, as it is one of the options you as a student will have to decide when choosing the right school for you. Choosing a program and location will definitely be more important, however keep in mind that the post-secondary school you choose... you will be attending for close to 4-5 years! There are major differences between a small and large school, which I will be covering. I hope you enjoy reading and thanks for visiting my blog!

(link to photo: https://plexuss.com/news/article/college-size-why-it-matters)

Before I go into the differences, I just want to explain my point of view of the size of a small and big university. I consider universities such as the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Simon Fraser University (SFU) to be large. The University of British Columbia has around 60,000 students and Simon Fraser University has around 35,000 students, and both have large campuses.

(Snapshot of UBC's campus: http://umbracity.com/blog/hello-ubc/)

If you have been reading most of my blog posts or watching my videos, you would probably know that I go to Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops. For the purpose of this blog post, I actually will not be discussing my school as it is considered a medium size school with only 15,000 students on campus and another 10,000 online students.

My point of view of a small university would be schools such as Capilano University (8,000 students) and University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) with around 5,000 students. Now lets get into the differences between a small and large university!

(Snapshot of Capilano University: http://www.universitypathway.ilsc.com/home/partners/Capilano-University )

A large university is typically one with a lot of students, a very wide spread campus with many undergraduate programs from certificates to degrees, and possibly masters degrees available for students. There are a number of clubs, volunteer opportunities, on-campus jobs, residences for students, co-op and study abroad options, sports teams, student government, services, and the list goes on. Yes, some of these can be found on a small or medium sized university, however these are definite characteristics in large universities and the amount is also higher. These opportunities, options, and experiences can make a university look more attractive, however there are downsides to going to a large university. A common downside is that with a large school, comes a large amount of students which goes hand in hand with large classroom sizes. Taking classes with 100+ students can make it difficult to not only see the board or hear the professor teach, but establish a relationship with your professor and get help when needed. There are solutions you can take if you do decide to attend large classrooms, but it is something that should be considered when choosing a school. Another downside can be the lack of a sense of identity. With the thousands and thousands of students attending a large school, are you just going to be just a number? With a small school, you are able to easily interact with your professors. To conclude, large universities typically do have more programs to offer students and more opportunities, however if you aren't ready to make the jump from your 1,000 student high school to a school of 60,000 + students, maybe you should consider medium or small size universities. When I visited UBC Vancouver's campus website, I found so many programs and opportunities that is definitely what you want to see in a school. However, when I visited the school it was too large and I found myself lost and confused. It was too big for my comfort zone, and I personally preferred a medium sized school! Everyone is different, but touring a school can definitely help you to discover if you can see yourself attending the school.

As for a small university, it is typically under 10,000 students, a fairly small campus with one or a few buildings, and offers the basic undergraduate programs such as Arts, Science, and Business with more certificates and diplomas than degrees. As mentioned earlier, there is still the possibility of having the characteristics in a large school, just not all and not as much. The most attractive quality, in my opinion, of a small university is that in classrooms you have a greater opportunity to participate and connect with professors and classmates. There is an easier access to school clubs and sports than in large universities. Lastly, it is easier to feel a sense of community with a smaller school than in a 60,000 student school. That being said, everyone's post-secondary experience is different and you get in university what you put into it! The downsides of a small university is the lack of programs. Lets say you decide you no longer want to purse a diploma in management and want to purse a science degree, would your school have it? The possibility of a small school having it may be low and it could force you to transfer schools. Have you decided you want to live away from home but your school doesn't offer on-campus housing? That could be something that drives you to transfer to a larger school with on-campus housing. As you could probably tell by now, there are many factors that can make a small school and a large school look appealing or not a good choice. So what should you consider when making your decision?

1) What program do I want to enrol in? What other programs am I interested in that's in the school?

2) Do I want to go to a school with a large campus or a smaller campus?

3) If I decide I don't want to commute and I want to move away from home, is there on-campus housing?

4) Are there any clubs or sports I'd want to join? (help enhance the university experience and expand your opportunities)

5) Can I afford to go to a large university?

The list goes on! I hope you have gained valuable insight from this blog post. Most of what I talked about was based on my point of view but also from my own experience from touring large and small universities before choosing Thompson Rivers University.

#school #univeristy #college