Choosing the college that fits you best can be difficult, and many young adults do not get it right on the first try. Thankfully, students can transfer schools.
Transferring can come with a whole onslaught of challenges. Personally, the biggest challenge of being a transfer student is the change in scenery. Moving from a small private college to a large public institution makes room for a lot of culture shock.
There were just over 1,000 students at my previous college: Alderson Broaddus University (ABU). That is about one-sixteenth the size of BGSU. The campus was small and easy to navigate as a freshman.
On the other hand, BGSU has a large campus that is akin to a small community. I first came onto the BGSU campus and was intimidated by the size. You could basically see every building at once on my last campus.
At BGSU, it always seems like there are events taking place. Comparatively, my old school usually had five or so events to choose from daily. During my first week on campus at BGSU, it seemed like there were 20 different events each day. There are not only more events, there is a wider variety as well (and way more free stuff).
Going to a larger public university also allows students to have more collaboration within their major. I was the only Journalism major in my class at my last school. Now I have more peers to compare my work to and learn from.
That being said, there are some things I miss about going to a small college. My classes were guaranteed to have at the very most 50 students in them. Also, you develop a deeper relationship with professors since they often teach more than one of your courses. At a small college, professors often take on more roles than what is normally expected at a larger institution. Many professors are also advisers and supervise sports or clubs.
You can basically recognize everyone on campus at a small school, which is both good and bad. People may have a higher chance of being in a class with their friends, but they also can’t avoid people they dislike very easily.
The increased comradery is what I will miss about my old school, but I know I am moving onto bigger things here at BGSU. I knew in my heart it was right to come back home for college: and with that I leave you with my favorite quote:
“Trust your instincts, and make judgments on what your heart tells you. The heart will not betray you.”
– David Gemmell, Fall of Kings
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