Not Another Face in the Crowd: What Makes Small Colleges Special
Have you ever wondered what it's like to live in a tight-knit community, or how to choose between a bigger or smaller college? The contrasts may be subtle, but they make all the difference. Small colleges offer personable connections between professors and students, intimate classrooms for captivating class discussions and a community-based campus where people truly know your name. Regis University offers all these benefits, ensuring you are never just another number in the system.
Professors who know you, know what you need
High school teachers love to warn that when you get to college, your professors won’t look out for you. At a place like Regis, this claim isn’t entirely true. For example, when I missed a quiz for my Spanish class, my professor reached out via email just to check in and see if I was okay.
This type of connection comes naturally at a small college, where it is easily noticed when students attend class or not. Professors here truly enjoy learning about their students' passions and welcome conversation outside of class. Most of my own professors have highly encouraged my classmates and me to come to their office hours, whether for extra help or just to chat. With an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, our students receive personalized attention that ensures their specific talents and skills don’t go unnoticed.
In these classrooms, discussions thrive because every student has a chance to speak and even spark new topics of debate. Outside of the classroom, I regularly have conversations with professors to gain insight into what grad school was like for them and to get advice on my own career goals. My first-year advisor didn’t just understand my passions; he cultivated them in a way that truly supported the vision I have for my future. It is easy to find a mentor at a small school who can offer insight into their own career path while shedding light on yours.
Connections that change you for the better
Personal connections mean growing a strong, supportive community of your own. A small school builds interdependence among everyone on campus. You begin to realize how true the saying is that “it takes a village” to do great things, as students rely on advisors, peer and professors to help drive their passions.
College becomes less about finding a job and more about discovering how to be successful as a whole person. Regis focuses on student well-being, adopting a holistic view that meets students where their mind, body and spirit are.
The academics at Regis don’t just shape your knowledge; they shape your character. A small campus has also allowed me to build a “second family” with the friends I’ve made here. You spend so much time around people that you learn how to love them through every challenge, until they eventually feel like family. This close-knit environment makes it easy to connect with people in ways that larger schools often don’t allow. because everyone knows someone, it’s easy to find a mutual friend with a stranger and form a new connection.
Authenticity leads to authentic opportunities
Finally, these genuine connections lead to great networking because the people around you want to see you succeed. All it takes for great networking is authenticity and caring about the people you are interacting with — and that comes easy in an environment where you work closely with peers who share your major.
Small colleges also thrive by interacting with the local community and keeping in touch with their alumni. My own experiences have introduced me to great opportunities that I would never have discovered on my own. I have been introduced to local artists and even got to volunteer at a writer’s workshop where I got to sit in on talks for free. Thanks to my professor, I am now connected to a resource where I can further develop my own writing skills.
Other opportunities may include internships, volunteer opportunities or just places to grow and practice your major during your free time. Spotting a Regis graduate at an event provides an immediate “inside” connection to your dream job or industry. Alumni regularly return to campus for networking events to grow the organizations they now work for, providing current students with better opportunities.
Networking is made effortless because professors don’t have to struggle to remember you. Even alumni will know the same professors who are leaving a lasting impact on your life today. Those connections are hard to erase, unlike at massive colleges where lecture halls are regularly filled with 100 students just like you.
A big fish in a little pond
To sum it up, a small college gives big rewards. The energy and dedication you put into a school like Regis will be returned to you in full. It is easy for our students to shine because people are actually watching. You won’t be passed along as just another student; you will be seen by your friends and your mentor for the hard work you put in.
Nobody is just another face in the crowd; we are faces that others know the name and story of. There are strangers I have never spoken to, yet I know their name and their hobbies because small communities reveal how connected we are as humans and how small our world truly is.