Should I Go to a Big or Small College

Should I Go to a Big or Small College SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips One of the main factors to consider when choosing a college is the size of its enrollment. This is one of the first things college search websites ask you to specify because it’s an easy way to eliminate a bunch of schools. But what if you aren't sure whether you’re interested in big or small colleges or what the benefits and drawbacks are for each? In this article, I’ll provide a rundown of the characteristics of large and small colleges and the ways they differ from one another. What Is a Big College? Schools with more than 15,000 students are usually considered "big" colleges.These schools offer diverse social experiences and a wide variety of learning opportunities.They are places where you'll constantly encounter new and exciting things to do and meet all different types of people. Examples of big colleges include: New York UniversityUCLAFlorida State UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityTemple University Pros of Attending a Big College There are lots of opportunities for socializing and meeting new people. Big colleges usually have a wider selection ofacademicprograms. There are extensive collections of research materials andstate-of-the-art research facilities. There's more variety in housing choices. There will be more extracurricular clubs and activities. Big colleges havewell-funded athletic programs. They often attract famous or otherwise distinguished faculty. Cons of Attending a Big College You could end up in huge lecture classes that contain hundreds of students, resulting inless individual attention from professors. There's more administrative red tape;if you wanted to switch majors, for example, you might have to get more signatures and approvals than if you went to a small college. If you don’t speak up for your needs and interests, you could get lost in the crowd. You have to be willing to go after opportunities at a big college because no one will seek you out and give them to you. It’s more common for students to get TOO immersed in the myriad social opportunities and neglect academics. Should You Choose a Big College? A big college may or may not be right for you depending on your personality and what you’re looking to accomplish in the next four years.If you’re someone who constantly seeks out new experiences and loves meeting new people, you may thrive at a big college.You’ll have the opportunity to meet people from many different cultural backgrounds and attend a huge variety of social events. Since there are so many people, if you’re willing to explore, you're likely to find others who have the same interests as you.You’ll almost certainly find extracurricular and academic opportunities that align with your passions.If you’re interested in sports, large colleges are also more likely to have well-funded athletic programs and facilities. If you want to gain experience as a research assistant or get your start in academia, a big college might also fit well with your goals.With top-notch research facilities and distinguished faculty, large universities have all the resources you need to find these types of opportunities.If you attend a large research university, you're more likely to be presented with opportunities to collaborate on projects with professors who are leaders in their fields. This could lead to being listed as a coauthor on groudbreaking research papers or presenting research at high-profile conferences. Large universities must provide cutting edge research facilities so that their high-profile faculty can continue to make new discoveries and publish work. Undergraduates can often access these facilities and reap the benefits in their own research endeavors. In many cases, this leads to an advantage in admission to graduate school programs that value students who have already demonstrated a knack for research. If you’re an independent person who is comfortable advocating for yourself, a big college environment will probably play to your strengths.There's less individual attention and direct guidance, but if you’re willing to seek out the resources for yourself, you may have many more opportunities at your disposal than you would find at a small college. Florida State University: It looks pretty, but I can only imagine what kinds of many-legged horrors are hidden in the vegetation. What Is a Small College? Generally, a small college is defined as a school with less than 5,000 students.These schools are characterized by a close-knit student community and a greater focus on undergraduate teaching by professors.You’ll always run into people you know and will have access to more individual academic attention. Examples of small colleges include: Babson CollegeFranklin CollegeMiddlebury CollegeOberlin CollegeVassar College Pros of Attending a Small College You can get to know most people and will run into familiar faces everywhere you go. At small colleges, the camaraderie amongst students is often very strong. You’re likely to get more individual attention from professors and have smaller class sizes. Professors, not Teaching Assistants, teach most classes- in general, there is more of a focus on undergraduate education. There are usually opportunities to create individually designed majors rather than being stuck with the programs that are officially offered by the school. Small colleges often have stronger advising systems for students. You may have more opportunities to gain leadership experience because there will be less competition than at big schools. Cons of Attending a Small College There are often fewer research facilities and resources. You'll find less variety in social life and less emphasis on large sporting events. There are usually fewer major choices (although as I mentioned, you can often design your own major which is pretty cool). Small colleges can be very isolating,especially in rural locations. There will be less variety in housing choices. Should YOU Choose a Small College? If you like being part of a strong community and feeling comfortable and familiar with your surroundings, a small college may work for you.Going to a small college can make meeting new people a bit easier.If you become friends with just a few of your classmates, you’ll see them around frequently, and it’s more likely that you’ll find connections with others in the community.Going to a small college makes it easier to relate directly to other students since there is a less dramatic range of experiences on campus. Did you enjoy small class discussions in high school? Did you have a close relationship with your teachers?These are both things that are more likely to be a part of the small college experience.You’ll have more interaction with your professors and get the opportunity to learn directly from them rather than being taught by TAs. Professors will get to know you on an individual basis and give thoughtful feedback on your work. You may also have more chances to collaborate with professors on research since you won't be competing with a large pools of graduate students. Additionally, curriculum at small colleges tends to be more flexible. If there's a unique academic path that you want to take that doesn't quite fit with the school's requirements, your advisors will help you make it happen.If you have more of an introverted personality and are hoping to find sustained support in college from your professors and advisors, a small college may be the right choice. Oberlin College: I can't think of any stereotypes about Ohio...Ohio's boring! HA The Compromise: Medium-Sized Colleges What about schools that have between 5,000 and 15,000 students?These are the Goldilocks schools - not too small, not too big.If you feel that certain aspects of both large and small colleges appeal to you, you might want to look at these medium-sized schools.This is tricky, though. You could end up getting the best of both worlds or missing out on the things you liked about one or both of the other types of schools. For medium-sized colleges, it’s particularly important to look at the specifics of what the school offers in the form of research facilities, class sizes, and extracurricular opportunities.A medium-sized college may have more big college characteristics or more small college characteristics depending on its location and the composition of its student body.If the school is in a city, the social life might be more like a big college since there will be a lot going on around campus and you'll interact with more people outside the student population. On the other hand, in a rural area, you might get more of a small college sense of community and familiarity. Examples of medium-sized colleges include: Carnegie Mellon UniversityEmory UniversityHoward UniversityTufts UniversityVanderbilt University In the next section, I’ll show you how to search for colleges by size so you can check out schools that are large, medium, and small and get a clearer picture of how they line up with your preferences. How to Search for Colleges By Size This information is all well and good, but how do you actually find schools that have the enrollment size you’re looking for?I would recommend using College Navigator for your initial search.You can specify thesize range you want if you click on â€Å"more search options†: Notice that you can you cannarrow your search down to schools that are the right size and also specify any other basic qualities that matter to you.The top of the search box allows you to search for colleges bystate or zip code and by program type. Once you get a list of schools, you can add any that sound promising to your â€Å"favorites† and even compare statistics side by side to see how they line up with your preferences. College Navigator will give you data about tuition, financial aid, enrollment, and admissions for the schools you choose.Once you have a good idea of which ones you like, you might consult another site to get more information about how students view the school and any other qualities you’re curious about. I would recommend Cappex, a college matchmaking site, for conducting the more in-depth part of your search since it offers both hard data and student reviews on all aspects of campus life.When you create a profile, you can specify your preferences for school enrollment size to get appropriate matches.You can also search for the schools you found on College Navigator and learn more information about them through their Cappex profiles.With these search options, you can start compiling a list of schools that you like by narrowing down your choices by size first and then figuring out if they have other features that interest you. Summary Big and small colleges differ in the characteristics of the social scene, the resources available, and the structure of classes.Big colleges are great places for motivated students to have diverse experiences and access high-quality research materials.Small colleges are great options for students who want to learn directly from professors and gain strong ties to the community.When searching for schools, you should take these characteristics into account and decide which type of college is a better fit for you personality and goals. Here's a quick questionairre that includes some of the major points from above so that you can get a sense of whether a big or small school is right for you. If the majority of your answers are "yes", you should look into big colleges first. If the majority of your answers are "no", small colleges might be better. If the majority of your answers are "sometimes", you might look into medium-sized colleges, or size may not be as important of a factor in your college decision as it is for other people. Yes Sometimes No I love meeting new people. I enjoy being exposed to unfamiliar situations and perspectives and having a wide variety of social experiences in general. I am a very independent learner. Class size is not important to me. I don't feel the need to have a close relationship with my professors. I like attending big sporting events. I'm looking for a school with extensive research facilities. I have a major in mind already. Keep in mind that not all big colleges and small colleges have the same characteristics - these are generalizations, not hard facts.Make sure you do your research to find out exactly what each school offers and how it will make your college experience worthwhile. What's Next? Looking for some great resources that will help you in your college search? Read my article on the best college search websites. The Common Application makes it easy to apply to a bunch of schools without filling out a bunch of different forms. Find out which schools use it here. Aiming high in your college search? Read this article on what it takes to get into Ivy League and other highly selective schools. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

odysseus as an epic hero essays

odysseus as an epic hero essays The role of Odysseus as an epic hero is modified throughout the epic poem. As Odysseus leaves Troy for home, he is the typical bloodthirsty warrior. During the course of his trek, he undergoes a symbolic death and rebirth. Upon his arrival to Ithaka, the wiser man he has become is evident. The odyssey is Odysseus story of his journey not only from troy to Ithaka, but also from bloodthirsty warrior to epic hero. Odysseus begins the tale of his trip from troy to Phaiakia. The beginning of his tale displays the bloodthirsty warrior that left troy. What of those years of rough adventure, weathered under Zeus? The wind that carried west from Ilion brought me to Ismaros, on the far shore, a strongpoint on the coast of Kikones. I stormed that place and killed the men who fought. The first lines of Odysseus story display his warrior side. This passage shows how he and his crew landed and immediately went to battle and plundered. Although Odysseus recalls telling his men to stop afterwards and return to the ship, he never really forcibly tried to make the men return. The lack of effort on Odysseus part implies that he did not truly care if the men ransacked Ilion. Due to his greed and bloodlust, nearly a third of each ships crew was lost. This bloodthirsty warrior cared only for battle and blood, instead of his men and his return home. After stopping on the island of Aiaia, the home of Kirke, Odysseus journeys to Hades. This represents a symbolic death for Odysseus. There he must speak with Teirasias to hear the prophets visions for Odysseuss journey home. Teirasias predicts that the journey can take two paths; either a peaceful journey home, or if the crew and Odysseus can not restrain their desires, death and destruction will befall the crew. Odysseus and his crew do not heed Teirasiass warning, and the entire crew save Odysseus is lost at sea. After nine ...

A Brief History of International Womens Day

A Brief History of International Womens Day The purpose of  International Womens Day is to bring attention to the social, political, economic, and cultural issues that women face, and to advocate for the advance of women within all those areas. As the organizers of the celebration state,  Through purposeful collaboration, we can help women advance and unleash the limitless potential offered to economies the world over. The day is often also used to recognize women whove made significant contributions to the advancement of their gender. International Womens Day was first celebrated on March 19 (not the later March 8), 1911. A million women and men rallied in support of womens rights on that first International Womens Day. The idea of an International Womens Day was inspired by Americas National Womens Day, February 28, 1909, declared by the Socialist Party of America. The next year, the Socialist International met in Denmark and delegates approved the idea of an International Womens Day. And so the next year, the first International Womens Day - or as it was first called, International Working Womens Day - was celebrated with rallies in Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Celebrations often included marches and other demonstrations. Not even a week after the first International Womens Day, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire killed 146, mostly young immigrant women, in New York City. That incident inspired many changes in industrial working conditions, and the memory of those who died has been often invoked as part of International Womens Days from that point on. Especially in the early years, International Womens Day was connected with working womens rights. Beyond That First International Womens Day The first Russian observance of International Womens Day was in February 1913. In 1914, with World War I erupting, March 8 was a day of rallies of women against war, or women expressing international solidarity at that time of war. In 1917, on February 23 - March 8 on the Western calendar - Russian women organized a strike, a key beginning of events resulting in the czar being toppled. The holiday was especially popular for many years in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Gradually, it became more of a truly international celebration. The United Nations celebrated International Womens Year in 1975, and in 1977, the United Nations officially got behind the annual honoring of womens rights known as International Womens Day, a day to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of womens rights. In 2011, the 100th anniversary of International Womens Day resulted in many celebrations around the world, and more than usual attention to International Womens Day. In 2017 in the United States, many women celebrated International Womens Day by taking the day off, as a Day Without Women. Entire school systems closed (women are still about 75% of public school teachers) in some cities. Those who were unable to take the day off wore red to honor the spirit of the strike. Quotes Suitable for International Womens Day Gloria Steinemâ€Å"Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. Its about making life more fair for women everywhere. Its not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. Its about baking a new pie.† Robert Burnsâ€Å"While Europes eye is fixd on mighty things,The fate of empires and the fall of kings;While quacks of State must each produce his plan,And even children lisp the Rights of Man;Amid this mighty fuss just let me mention,The Rights of Woman merit some attention.† Mona Eltahawyâ€Å"Misogyny has not been completely wiped out anywhere. Rather, it resides on a spectrum, and our best hope for eradicating it globally is for each of us to expose and to fight against local versions of it, in the understanding that by doing so we advance the global struggle.† Audre Lordeâ€Å"I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.† Variously AttributedWell behaved women rarely make history.

Significant Others Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Significant Others - Assignment Example Because of the support Rivera give to her Kahlo, she returned the same support to him. She thought that her husband was the greatest painter of all times, referring her as â€Å"architect of life.† However, Kahlo did not want to compete with Rivera as she would talk about her artwork in diminishing terms, as though they were an amusing pastime. She would defend the artwork of Rivera passionately against all detractors (Chadwick & Courtivron 123). Since Rivera was an older and more experience than his Kahlo, his influence in the art industry assisted Kahlo’s art to be recognized worldwide. The legacy of their partnership is their approach to birth, shared pre-occupation their country with the death. Both Kahlo and River in their paintings included delineations of pre-Hispanic art. Moreover, the central subject of their paintings in that they addressed each other. When Kahlo painted Rivera, she would depict him as her husband and the one she loved. Similarly, Rivera painted his wife by depicting her as a political figure or symbol. For an instant, in Rivera’s 1928 Insurrection, he painted her as an eager political activist; dressed in a red-work shirt emblazoned with a red star (Chadwick & Courtivron 132). The social media that I belong to and is most significant in my life is Facebook. Facebook helps me to connect quickly with my family and pals across the world in a relaxed manner. I am able to know how each of my Facebook friends is failing and passing news to them at will. Sharing of photos, images, status and videos is easy in Facebook. In addition, I am on Twitter as it helps me to meet different people and organizations in a casual environment. With the hashtags in Twitter, I am able to know what the different parties are conversing about. My mother is the most important person in my life. She supports me in my education and career as an artist. She gives me moral support as she has a place for my

Dr. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream Speech in Three Frames Essay

Dr. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream Speech in Three Frames - Essay Example The report will explore Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream Speech. Examples will be provided of the Structural, Human Resource, and Political Frames from the video and transcript of the speech. This will exclude the Symbolic Frame as that information has already been provided per the instructions. As Bolman and Deal (2008) mention from his own unique and personal perspective, David King’s diagnosis makes sense. The reframing process, however, is different for every manager and leader as no two individuals look at a company from the same experiences, career path, education, beliefs, values, and interests. His recommendations made sense for the situation for him and the circumstances he was in at that point in time. He referenced his previous experience many times, but also referenced all four frames equally in his recommendation. It seemed as though, initially, he was relying much too heavily on the human resource frame to justify his actions, but as he later explai ned his thoughts more fully it became clear that he was considering all four frames. The opportunity he may have missed was explaining to the staff the issues related to structure he had observed, so that when dealing with the human resource tensions and conflicts rather than focusing on blaming one another or the details of what one person said to one another. He could have given them a little bit of analysis to divert the attention away from the people issues (Bolman and Deal, 2008). One of the benefits of understanding the Structural Frame, as an example, is that you know the concerns are not primarily the fault of the people. It seemed he spent the majority of his time delving into issues with the staff, which could lead some people to believe that administration was the primary problem. Appearances can mean a lot particularly when there is a change in leadership. His decisions were effective in the short run in that he calmed the situation down that was brewing between Carver a nd Dula, but in the long run there is a lot more work that remains to be seen. His stamina will be tested. From a Structural Frame perspective other possible actions that Mr. King might have pursued to resolve the challenges he could have begun his interviews with the administrators asking them more about the structure as they understand it or what type of structure they would like to see developed. He could have made some assumptions that with the number of problems the school had experienced prior to his joining, there were structural issues to begin with and launched into questions as to their thoughts, reassuring them that the true issues are not with the individuals. In other words, He could have done some homework in advance. His findings later of the lack of structure weren’t a surprise based on the previous symptoms of fighting and outright chaos. From a Human Resource Frame perspective other possible actions that Mr. King might have pursued to resolve the challenges would have been for each administrator to meet with him and express what they think needs to be done to bring the school back to what the original vision of RFK was.  

Women's rights in Afghanistan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Women's rights in Afghanistan - Essay Example It has also been noted that during the most favorable times in Afghanistan, the overall literacy rate was less than 20% amongst males and less than 5% amongst females; surprisingly considered by some to be optimistic. Against such a backdrop, the country plunged into the hands of Islamic fundamentalists in 1992. This was deemed as a misfortune for women's rights. The new government of the country pledged prompt action to improve the conditions of women. A report by the international women's organization, Womankind Worldwide reported that millions of Afghan women and girls continue to face prejudice and belligerence in their day-to-day lives. Now, it has been acknowledged by the Afghan women's rights groups that women in Afghanistan now have a variety of rights, which they were deprived of earlier. The major religion practiced throughout Afghanistan is Islam. This religion guarantees equal rights to men and women before their Lord and gives them various rights such the right to inheritance, the right to vote, the right to work, and even choose their own partners in marriage. This was practiced over 1400 years ago. But this is not the case observed in Afghanistan, neither now, nor earlier. Here women have been denied these rights either by official government decree or by their own husbands, fathers, and brothers, now for centuries, even though their religion permits them the same. 1996 to 2001 was the worst of all times experienced by the women in Afghanistan, or of any other society. Women were degraded, forbidden to work, leave the house without a male escort, not permitted to seek medical assistance from a male doctor, and were forced to coverthemselves from head to toe, so much so, that even their eyes were to be covered. The female doctors, teachers and other professional s were forced to beg and even become prostitutes just to support their families. Their social rights were snatched away and were badly encroached. The year 2001, brought a revolutionary change in the social, political and cultural condition of women in Afghanistan. According to the newly adopted constitution, women's rights were recognized and they were given equal rights and duties as males, before the law. Women were now allowed to get back to work and resume to their social lives. The obligation on wearing the all covering burqa, was relaxed and they were now respected and even appointed to prominent positions in the government. Despite all these changes, there still remain many challenges for the women of Afghanistan. (Qazi, n.d.) No Improvement in Women's Rights in Afghanistan It is evident that the women in Afghanistan are looked down upon and not given their due rights. Their right to full participation in social, economic, cultural and political life of the country was drastically truncated and soon summarily snatched and denied to them. Women were completely deprived of their birthright of getting education, of the right to work, of the right to travel, of the right to health, of the right to legal recourse, of the right to recreation, and of the right to being human. They were not allowed to travel in private vehicles with male passengers; they did not have the right to raise their

Religion - The Upanishads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religion - The Upanishads - Essay Example For instance, when we get to question where life comes from or who created the earth and the heavenly bodies. The Kena Upanishad tries to answer these questions through use of events and words contained in the Kena Upanishad. The overall message underlined in the Kena Upanishad is that God (Brahman) is the overall in charge of everything in the world. A person who knows the truth will acknowledge the power of the Brahman and it continues to stress that human beings are mortal because they fail to fully grasp understanding of Brahman (Parmananda, 2004). Brahman is mentioned in the Kena Upanishad as the ultimate and the whole. The Kena Upanishad tries to explain that all we see or perceive in the world comes from one source which is the Whole. The Kena Upanishad strives to make it known that knowledge of God (Brahman) and the acknowledgement of his power is very important in life. Most of the Upanishads are related in their content and identification with one’s self. The Upanishads relate to the relationship between Brahman and us as human beings. One of the similarities between the Kena Upanishad and the other Upanishads is that it acknowledges that life without acknowledgment of the Brahman is pointless. For instance, in the Isha Upanishad it talks of seeing the world through Brahman as the only we to live since it is not possible to enjoy life and realize happiness. The phrase â€Å"He who sees all beings in his Self and his Self in all beings, never suffers† is a thought echoed through the other Upanishads. Another great similarity between the Upanishads is that all of them begin with a c hant. This is so done so that people can have the time to reconcile with their maker or Brahman. This is because it is difficult to cultivate the teachings of the deities if you cannot make peace with your brothers. The chant helps in withdrawing our minds from different distractions of the world before entering into the spiritual world. However, there are differences between the Kena Upanishad and the other Upanishads is that, the Kena Upanishad tries to explain the origin of Man. The main difference is the fact that this Upanishad tries to locate and expand the human being’s consciousness to the level it becomes identical to God’s consciousness (Easwaran, 2007). It does this through questions and answers, for instance when a disciple asks the teacher about the source of the world. He explains of the world emerging from a Whole and the whole becoming the World. The Kena Upanishads resembles the message available in other sacred books such as the bible whereby the orig in of the World and God is explained in the book of John. Topic Two The Upanishads are narrated in a way that makes the reader to more aware of his life through the teachings. Moreover, the Upanishads does not provide answers since it talks of the things that cannot be seen but rather believe in. Thus, I tend to agree with Alex Levin that the Upanishads make the reader aware of his connection to God through the spirit. The Upanishads are narrated in a format whereby the lessons of understanding God are done through thought provoking phrases. For instance, in the Isha Upanishad, there is this phrase â€Å"Whatever We see, movable or immovable, good or bad, it is all â€Å"That.† This phrase is not necessarily an answer but it tries to jog the mind of the reader to be fully aware of the questions that the Sage was asked. Several texts have been used in the Upanishad to make the reader alert and learn more and not just to get simple answers of life (Easwaran,