Key Takeaways:
- Small-town colleges offer lower living costs and personalized attention, enhancing student engagement and providing a close-knit community.
- Students in small towns benefit from lower crime rates and a peaceful environment, contributing to a safer and focused learning experience.
- Attending college in a small town often means fewer distractions and a supportive network, leading to stronger academic and personal growth.
When weighing your options regarding which college to attend, you may want to consider the value of a small college town as opposed to a school in a big city. You may already have a strong preference for one or the other. However, it’s not uncommon for young people to gravitate toward the idea of going off to college in an urban area.
It seems so appealing and much more exciting than a small, boring town. Keep an open mind and take a look at these advantages of a going to school in a small town.
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Less Cost
First of all, things in a small town just tend to be less expensive in comparison to a large city. So you’re likely to spend less in general during your time away at college. In addition, there are far fewer temptations when it comes to potential reckless spending.
While it may sound like a disadvantage that there are fewer things to do in a less urban area, it truly can be a benefit. Sure, the big cities have fun night clubs, a variety of restaurants and great shopping. However, college students don’t always have pockets overflowing with cash.
In a small college town, you’re likely to find more reasonably priced ways to have fun and have fewer financial worries.
Close Ties
In a smaller area where most things are within walking distance and there are fewer places to go, you tend to get to know people pretty well. If your school is on the smaller side, too, it’s even more likely that you’ll forge bonds easier than a bigger school where it’s easier to get lost in a crowd.
Getting to know more people leads to closer ties and a more tight-knit community. It’s easier to form a connection with those you see regularly.
There are certainly exceptions to this rule in terms of large schools in more urban areas that work hard to create strong ties among the community of students. These connections just seem to form more naturally and with less effort in a small area.
Easy to Get Around
It’s much easier to get around a smaller place than a large urban area. That may not seem like such a big deal, but it can make a significant difference in the way you approach your free time and the kinds of activities you pursue.
In a town where nearly everything is within walking distance, you really don’t have to give much thought to the cost or logistics involved in getting to your desired destination. It’s easy to just grab a couple of friends and head out to a party in town or a movie on campus.
In a city, where things are often spread out more, you have consider the best mode of transportation, route and cost of getting there. Your friends might not think it’s worth the trouble to go at all. Things tend to be more spontaneous at a small town college.
These are merely a few advantages to a small town school over one located in the city. You may find that these benefits and others are good reasons to think about spending the next four years in a small college town.
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