Big city or something more rural? Does it matter?

itsgettingreal17
Fri, 22 Feb 2019 09:43:06 +0000

It really depends on the student and the school. I went to an LAC in the middle of nowhere and it was awful for me. While the school did try to have activities available on campus, old movies and meh concerts and plays got really old fast for me as I grew up in a major city. I felt that it got really old for others quickly too as those who came to college and thought they wouldn’t drink/party quickly joined the drunken party crowd since there wasn’t much else to do.

My D goes to a flagship in a small city recognized as one of the top college towns in the country and is reasonably close to a major city. She thought she’d drive to the big city often, but she hasn’t. I think she’s gone 3 times. Between campus-provided activities (club events, SEC sporting events, intramural, weekly outdoor activities/trips, free movies, arts, concerts, speakers, parties/events, etc.) and things to do in town, there is never a shortage of things to do even on a tiny budget. If you have a decent discretionary budget, even better.

I think you need to know what type of experience you want. What do you typically do for fun? What do you want your weekends to be like? Do you need variety? Will money be an issue? Be honest with yourself and do your homework on each school. Look carefully at school websites and visit and talk to current students.