So I attend Eastern Washington University - a nice sized college with around 9,000 students. It is nowhere near overcrowded and my average class size is from 30-60, which I find pleasant. The University of Washington has over 40,000 students with an average class size of 150-250. I'm not saying UW isn't a renowned school, but I do believe it is overcrowded.
I am sure Stanford and USC and all of them are fine schools, but why would I want to pay over $30,000 to a school where professors don't even know that you are in class or care about your grades. At EWU and I know some other smaller schools professors really care about how you do and that you are learning. My family and myself are still paying around $17,000 per year for college but these professors put time and effort into our learning.
I'm not saying they should baby us like in high school, but they should realize that we are paying good money for higher education. I believe we should be taught, not fed from a textbook. I really try to tell my friends that even though some of the smaller schools aren't as renowned as huge schools, they still are just as good as the others.
College shouldn't be so hard that you can never get ahold of your professors. My professors are around a lot and we talk about school, life and other different things. They teach us and they make sure we learn the material, whether than leaving literally right after the class ends. That is the kind of school I attend and believe everyone should attend. Go where you learn the best, not the one with the best name.
Hear, hear! That's exactly why I'm going to be attending Shimer College next year! Sure, I'm payng the out of state tuition of nearly 30,000 dollars. But there are fewer students than there are in my high school, the classes are never any more than 12 students in size, and the whole point of the curriculum is to get everyone actively involved in their education through discussion of the reading materials, which are not expensive textbooks, but the Great Books, original sources that really pack a punch!
The best part about Shimer? No one's ever heard of it. A prime example of how the perfect college for someone may not be the most prestigious and well-known!
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
Haven't seen you here in a while, Jared. I guess you're up to a post a month. That's cool, at least you're still on the site!
I really don't understand the focus on schools like Penn State where you've got lecture hall classes with hundreds of people. I like my college better. It's big enough to not be called "small" but there's a sort of individualised attention here that is really appealing and rewarding for the student.
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I visit a lot, just no time to post long blogs, college for ya - hah. I'm going to try and post once or twice a week again, no guarantees. But yeah, my college is just under (well sort of) to be considered a "big" school, but I was accepted to the University of Oregon, a huge college that is great for my major (Business), but I didn't and still don't feel I would get the attention I need from the professors. I have nothing against large colleges, but I would rather be a name than just a number.
Jared Munson
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington
I see. You make a good point, though I don't want to be in the situation where I become a number. My professors got to know me and my classmates pretty quickly.
Visit/Post when you can. There's no point in forcing you against your will to come to ProgressiveU again! I have noticed you've increased the number of times you post. Something I said...?
Anyway, good luck in your new University!
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Visit my blog! I'll even provide a link for ya:
Comments are always appreciated! :)