Small schools have features big schools lack

You don't need to go to a big school to be happy. You can be just as happy or happier at a Division II school.

Take my word for it. Having gone to both kinds of schools, I can debunk the happy, big school myths for you.

When I was in high school I knew I belonged at a large university –the kind where the student section at a football game was so packed the fire marshal was keeping additional students at bay like a bouncer at a club.

I spent just one semester at Texas Tech University before transferring to A&M-Commerce. I won't go into detail, sometimes it's not necessary to do so, but financial reasons and a love interest brought me eight hours east across the state to here, home.

I remember I cried after my first day of classes here. Transferring felt like a huge mistake after I suffered through a class full of belligerent freshmen and a professor whose hearing problem made me question his competence.

Where had all the school spirit gone? The majestic buildings with their matching facades were becoming a distant memory for me.

It took awhile, as most revelations do, but I am truly grateful to have experienced both ends of the big school, small school spectrum.

At a big school you are going to get a lot more school spirit. At Tech anyone could yell out, "Wreck ‘em," and get at least 10 other people to join in with their "guns up" and a holler.

You're also going to get more than you bargained for. With nearly 300 students in my introductory communications class, the probability of even sitting next to the same person twice severely limited the chance of making a friend.

It's actually a lot harder to make lasting relationships and friendships. I was never as lonely as when I realized I was another face swimming in a sea full of people just like me.

My professor had no idea who I was, even though I had the top grade in the class. I was stuck in classes where I was another number, barely making a blip on the radar.

Where the big schools lack is where A&M-Commerce excels.
Since I've been here, I've received more hands-on training than I could ever ask for at a large university. Even as a freshman, I got to do more with my major than a senior at a Division I school.

I have made lasting friendships inside and outside my major and minor. I am a leader on campus, because I have chosen to be. I've had the opportunity to take my ideas and see them make a difference on this campus.

And you know what? You have that chance too. Don't wait until you move to another place before you step up.

A&M-Commerce is your canvas, and you can paint into the scene whatever you choose.