Choosing a college can be overwhelming. There are numerous considerations, and seemingly unlimited possibilities. One important factor is your preference for whether to attend a college in a rural environment, or a college in an urban environment.
I attended two different colleges. Both are private colleges, and both offer excellent educational opportunities. My experiences at both colleges were enriching and meaningful, but the differences were significant. The differences in geographic location and campus size meant completely different lifestyles for the students at each college.
College Location:
My first alma mater, Sweet Briar College, is located in a tiny town known as Sweet Briar, Virginia. The only thing of significance in the town is the college itself. The closest town to it is Amherst Virginia, another small town in Central Virginia. The campus is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
My second alma mater, The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM), has several different locations. I chose to take classes at the campus located in downtown Los Angeles. The FIDM campus is adjacent to the Los Angeles fashion district, and is not far from Hollywood.
Each location offers tremendous advantages. Sweet Briar students enjoy being surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty; FIDM students enjoy being able to explore all the delights that the city of Los Angeles has to offer.
When choosing a college, prospective students should be aware of the geographic advantages (or disadvantages) afforded by each college they are considering, and should take into account which environment is more suitable for their needs and preferences.
Campus Size:
The Sweet Briar College campus is situated on 3,250 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In contrast, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising’s Los Angeles campus is located in a multi-story building, almost resembling an office building, in downtown LA. The FIDM college campus is situated in Grand Hope Park, a 4-acre anomaly in downtown LA featuring abundant green grass and artistic sculpture.
Campus Amenities:
As you can imagine, the amenities offered by each college are significantly different. Sweet Briar College, with its vast campus, boasts a riding program that is one of the best in the United States; students are even able to bring their own horses to college with them, since boarding for horses is available on campus. Horseback riding trails are abundant on the college’s property. Additionally, there are two lakes and a boathouse located on the Sweet Briar College campus; students enjoy canoeing, swimming, and sunbathing at the boathouse. These are some typical advantages of attending a rural college; amenities such as these are usually not practical or even possible in an urban environment.
One other thing I appreciated at Sweet Briar was the space allotted to me in the painting studio when I took oil painting classes. Each student was assigned a small studio space of their own in the classroom; this allowed us to leave our canvases there to dry undisturbed. In contrast, each classroom at FIDM was used for multiple classes; students could not leave paintings in a classroom after a class had ended. FIDM students were forced to creatively solve the problem of how to transport wet paintings after class was over.
Prospective students are encouraged to consider the amenities available to them at each college campus they are considering, and to anticipate any challenges that may arise.
Living Accommodations:
The students at Sweet Briar College typically live in dormitories. In contrast, the students at FIDM live off-campus, typically in their own apartments unless they still live at home. FIDM does help students to find housing. At the time I attended, I was able to find more affordable housing on my own than I was through the college.
Prospective students should be aware that, if they choose to attend college in an urban environment, they might have the added challenge of locating an affordable apartment as well. Prospective students should also consider the drastic differences in lifestyle afforded by each type of arrangement. In my opinion, students who live in dorms tend to enjoy a stronger sense of community with their classmates than students who live off campus do.
Cars and Parking on Campus:
The Sweet Briar college campus is its own self-contained microcosm in its own town; some students don’t even bring a car. Those that do, enjoy ample parking, although many times they find that they must walk long distances from the parking lot to their dorm rooms. In contrast, FIDM students in Los Angeles will find that they have a hard time coping without a car, and that parking in LA can be a headache. When I was a student at FIDM, I found that parking in the FIDM structure was not always available. There were other parking lots available in downtown LA close to campus for those that were willing to do a bit more walking.
Parking in an urban environment is also an extra expense that prospective students should prepare to budget for. I found that it pays to shop around for a convenient parking spot, and that prices vary from lot to lot. Prospective students who plan to bring their cars to college should make an effort to find out about parking availability and expenses, and plan accordingly.
Students are also cautioned that, on urban campuses, they may encounter traffic on the way to school, in addition to crowded or full parking lots once they arrive; students should leave early enough to cope with traffic jams and then find appropriate parking and still get to class on time.
Conclusion:
Prospective students are encouraged to consider location, campus size, amenities, living accommodations, and parking availability when choosing a college. These factors can be significantly influenced by whether the college is located in a rural or urban area. A large part of the student’s college experiences will be affected by the choice between rural or urban campuses, so it is important for prospective students to make a well-considered and informed decision.
