Real estate agents often chant the mantra of ”location, location, location” to their clients. As in buying a house, location shouldn’t be the sole driving force behind the college search process; nonetheless, it's still an important variable to consider. Over the past few months, you might have received admission information from colleges and universities, ans as you've noticed colleges reinforce their location in their publications. With striking photos of mountains, skyscrapers, or grassy quads, college viewbooks and websites play up their schools’ location. With all these great photos, you might ask yourself, where is the information on academics? Is there more to a school’s campus than the scenery? Obviously, the answer is yes, but you shouldn’t shy away from taking advantage of a college’s environment. College is perhaps the best four years of your life. It’s an opportunity for you to expand your intellectual and social horizons. It’s one great experiment. Follow me on a journey of how to think about which school's location will work for you.
The "right fit," like many phrases, can have various meanings and can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Your right fit might be different from mine. In thinking about schools, you’ll want to ask yourself: Do you like the cosmopolitan feel of a large city? Are you seeking a thriving music scene in a college town like Athens or Austin? Or do you want to stay close to home to be near family and friends?
Once you’ve identified your “right fit,” search for a college that is in your paradise. As an example, I’ll use Fort Lewis College. I am the Director of Admission at Fort Lewis College so it is an easy example for me. Fort Lewis is located in Durango, Colorado and the Four Corners region. Here, the San Juan Mountains meet the desert Southwest. It’s an incredible location. The area is surrounded by national forest, parks, mountain reservoirs and rivers. World-class skiing is 25 miles from campus; river rafting is in town; and great archaeology sites are only 30 minutes away. Heck, I ride a singletrack mountain bike trail to work. For students interested in the outdoors and wilderness, Fort Lewis College can be the perfect choice.
Here are some ways our students find their right fit at FLC:
1. Join student organizations: See what opportunities are available through the campus. Fort Lewis offers an Outdoor Pursuits club. It’s the largest club on campus and provides FLC students with such classes and trips as climbing (mountaineering, rock and ice), rafting/kayaking, avalanche safety, backcountry skiing/riding, canyoneering. Additionally, OP is the adventure hub of campus with an extensive equipment check-out program, outdoor resource library, bike and ski tune shop, and a knowledgeable staff. OP can provide maps, expert advice, reading material, and other resources to plan individual adventures.
2. Get to know the town. Since you will be living in a new community for four years, don’t hesitate to explore the town. Fort Lewis College and Durango offer a Welcome Week block party for new students. It’s a great way to learn about restaurants, shops, and other offers. Plus, there is usually some good, free food at events like this. Many restaurants and clubs offer college night specials on food. You can often eat well and on the cheap if you know the locations that offer college specials.
3. Explore the region. Within a two hour drive of Durango lay six different ecosystems. Three Native American reservations are within a 50 mile drive. Getting off campus will help you explore different areas of the country that perhaps you’ve never seen before. I had never had an Indian taco or Navajo frybread before moving to Durango. Now, I love it, and I know many FLC students who experienced these foods for the first time simply by being adventurous and getting off campus.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. You can stay on campus or you can get to know your college’s surrounding areas. I encourage you to do the latter. College is about expanding your horizons. I’m a firm believer that some of the most important learning experiences in college occur outside of the classroom and even off-campus. Be curious–explore and enjoy your college experience.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
The Big Benefit of a Small College
As you are trying to figure out what type of college to attend, size should be a part of your consideration. Large universities and small colleges are different in many ways, and either option might work well for you depending on what you’re wanting out of your college experience. It’s really up to you and your interests. Considering that I work at a small liberal arts college, I’m admittedly biased toward the small college experience. Even so, I think it sensible to think about all the benefits that small colleges can offer you. Let’s take a look…
The Undergraduate Experience: Although large universities might have more academic options, including a greater variety of majors and graduate education opportunities, small colleges tend to focus on the undergraduate experience. By that, I mean that small colleges truly value undergraduate students. While professors conduct research, they are first and foremost committed to teaching. Small colleges are often considered teaching institutions. Without as stringent of a “publish or perish” policy, faculty members at smaller colleges have greater time to adequately prepare for class and to respond to students’ assignments in thoughtful and constructive manners because they are not overwhelmed with conflicting interests and research schedules. At small colleges, the saying would be “teach or perish.”
Privileged Access to Faculty: Since many small colleges don’t have extensive graduate programs, undergraduate students don’t have to compete with graduate students for faculty members’ time and support. Faculty members, not graduate students or teaching assistants, teach the courses, conduct labs, and hold office hours. As a result, students really get to know their faculty. A former student worker for me at Fort Lewis College recently invited 11 FLC faculty members to her wedding. She had made a conscious effort to get to know her professors. In turn, these individuals became mentors for this student: Two of them helped her land an internship after graduation, and three of them wrote letters of reference for graduate school applications. Without this relationship, undoubtedly she would have had a more difficult time in her graduate school search. Dr. Richard Light encourages students to get to know one faculty member well for each semester they are in college. Students who do so stay academically engaged and have a mentoring network to help them succeed in college and beyond.
Small Class Size: At a large university, it’s not unheard of to have a class of 500 students, especially during one’s freshmen year. These large sizes can be intimidating and unwelcoming for students. At a small college, that would never be the case. Most small colleges tend to have an average class size of 15-18. Faculty encourage discussion and interaction in their classes and can provide students with quick feedback on assignments. Professors are often available for one-on-one help and students have more direct interaction with their professors than their counterparts have at larger universities. Several studies have been completed over the years that look at class size. Most studies cite 20 students as the breaking point for the learning process. Once the class size extends beyond 20 students, the learning process is hampered. Moreover, large classes tend to have a higher absenteeism rate, and when compared, students in smaller classes show significant learning gains over students in the same course but in a larger section.
A Sense of Community: At small colleges, it is nearly impossible to get lost in the shuffle. Students, faculty, and administrators know each other on a first name basis. Faculty and staff often eat in the cafeteria with students and faculty members tend to serve as academic advisers, club sponsors, and in some situations, even coaches. There is a genuine sense of community at most small colleges. One of the key tenets for all who work at small colleges is the importance of student support and student interaction. Faculty at small colleges chose to work there because they want to develop meaningful interactions with peers and students and they want to be a direct influence for their students. Small colleges tend to be more collegial. There aren’t as many “empire builders” or hidden agendas and there is less hierarchy, and a greater focus on student success.
So as you are choosing a college or university, think closely about the type of experience you are seeking. If you enjoy getting to know other individuals beyond superficial levels, you want to work closely with professors, you don’t want to be lost in large classes, and you want to be recognized and known by others around you, a small college might be the right choice for you.
The Undergraduate Experience: Although large universities might have more academic options, including a greater variety of majors and graduate education opportunities, small colleges tend to focus on the undergraduate experience. By that, I mean that small colleges truly value undergraduate students. While professors conduct research, they are first and foremost committed to teaching. Small colleges are often considered teaching institutions. Without as stringent of a “publish or perish” policy, faculty members at smaller colleges have greater time to adequately prepare for class and to respond to students’ assignments in thoughtful and constructive manners because they are not overwhelmed with conflicting interests and research schedules. At small colleges, the saying would be “teach or perish.”
Privileged Access to Faculty: Since many small colleges don’t have extensive graduate programs, undergraduate students don’t have to compete with graduate students for faculty members’ time and support. Faculty members, not graduate students or teaching assistants, teach the courses, conduct labs, and hold office hours. As a result, students really get to know their faculty. A former student worker for me at Fort Lewis College recently invited 11 FLC faculty members to her wedding. She had made a conscious effort to get to know her professors. In turn, these individuals became mentors for this student: Two of them helped her land an internship after graduation, and three of them wrote letters of reference for graduate school applications. Without this relationship, undoubtedly she would have had a more difficult time in her graduate school search. Dr. Richard Light encourages students to get to know one faculty member well for each semester they are in college. Students who do so stay academically engaged and have a mentoring network to help them succeed in college and beyond.
Small Class Size: At a large university, it’s not unheard of to have a class of 500 students, especially during one’s freshmen year. These large sizes can be intimidating and unwelcoming for students. At a small college, that would never be the case. Most small colleges tend to have an average class size of 15-18. Faculty encourage discussion and interaction in their classes and can provide students with quick feedback on assignments. Professors are often available for one-on-one help and students have more direct interaction with their professors than their counterparts have at larger universities. Several studies have been completed over the years that look at class size. Most studies cite 20 students as the breaking point for the learning process. Once the class size extends beyond 20 students, the learning process is hampered. Moreover, large classes tend to have a higher absenteeism rate, and when compared, students in smaller classes show significant learning gains over students in the same course but in a larger section.
A Sense of Community: At small colleges, it is nearly impossible to get lost in the shuffle. Students, faculty, and administrators know each other on a first name basis. Faculty and staff often eat in the cafeteria with students and faculty members tend to serve as academic advisers, club sponsors, and in some situations, even coaches. There is a genuine sense of community at most small colleges. One of the key tenets for all who work at small colleges is the importance of student support and student interaction. Faculty at small colleges chose to work there because they want to develop meaningful interactions with peers and students and they want to be a direct influence for their students. Small colleges tend to be more collegial. There aren’t as many “empire builders” or hidden agendas and there is less hierarchy, and a greater focus on student success.
So as you are choosing a college or university, think closely about the type of experience you are seeking. If you enjoy getting to know other individuals beyond superficial levels, you want to work closely with professors, you don’t want to be lost in large classes, and you want to be recognized and known by others around you, a small college might be the right choice for you.
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