Why I Chose to Attend a Small School
July 5, 2018
by Jessica Chaikof
Currently, I am attending Wheaton College, a relatively small school in Norton, MA. When growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, I went to a small private school for part of elementary to middle school. Going to a small private school was beneficial for me because I had more one-on-one time with the teachers since there were fewer students in my classes. By having more one-on-one time with my teachers, not only did I have more access to them, but I could get to know them better; thus, developing stronger student-teacher relationships. When I moved to Newton, Massachusetts, I attended the local public school in my neighborhood: home to about 2,000 students and class sizes on average were 25. During my four years of high school, I had wonderful teachers but struggled to get to know them more personally since they were dealing with a larger number of students.
At Wheaton, the professors are not only there to do research but to teach and work closely with students on a personalized level. I developed strong relationships with my professors from either attending office hours or to having them for multiple classes. By working one-on-one with my professors, I could get to know them on a more personal basis. Even after the class was over and I was no longer their student, I still stop by their offices to say hi. I had dinner and lunch with one of my favorite professors from the chemistry department multiple times. More importantly, I was able to reach out to her when I needed advice for anything ranging from school to life.
