Does Size Really Matter?

You're darn right it does.

Big is good. I love big. There's something really awesome about big. It all seems very thrilling and exciting. But I'd have to go with small. Small is better. Small is personal. Small is perfect. There's something more comfortable about small that you don't get with big. Small isn't as overwhelming.

I'm sorry, did I raise your eyebrows a bit?

Campuses, kids. Campuses.

I was tempted by the larger public schools at first. I was. I wanted to go to Mizzou sooo badly, I can't even tell you. But I'm glad I didn't and I'll tell you why.

First of all, Drake's campus is small. Seriously. It's little. It's not squished or anything, but I can make it from one side of campus to the other in probably one and a half songs on my iPod. Places like Iowa State, Mizzou, Colorado State, and University of Nebraska literally need busses to shuttle students from one part of campus to another. A shuttle. And I've heard from people that it takes more than half an hour to walk if you don't feel like taking the shuttle. That's just a little insane.

Especially in the Midwest.

Have you been to the Midwest? Have you experienced winter here? It's rough going anywhere on campus and Drake's small... i can't imagine walking anywhere at U of I. Or wherever. The smaller the campus, the better off your exposed skin is. Plus, all too often I've woken up ten minutes before class is supposed to start and still got there early. You can't top that.

Plus, Drake's enrollment is small. Small, small. Including graduate students, we're at around 5,300ish and undergrad population is just over 3,000. The biggest class I have ever been in didn't even have 50 kids in it.. and that was psychology, a class that most everybody has to take. My biggest class this semester is an English class with 20 kids in it. They're never that big. I guess it's a popular one to take. Usually I have around 12 kids in class. The last journalism class I was in had 7. I love having tiny classes. Granted, it's always very obvious when I didn't do the homework or the reading. but participating in class isn't scary and the teachers know your name and you get all this attention and help when you need it. You feel like a student, not just a number.