Why Not Take A Crazy Chance?

If you’re a high school freshman, or a potential transfer student, you’re probably eagerly awaiting your decision letter from William & Mary. I know when I was waiting for my decision letter, or email, I was sitting on my couch watching Veronica Mars waiting for a confirmation email on something I ordered from Amazon. As I casually scrolled through my emails I saw something from William & Mary. Needless to say, about 5 minutes later I was jumping up and down all ready to go out and buy every green and gold article of clothing I could find.

What made me pick William & Mary, you ask? Well, that’s actually a really tough question to answer. Much like a cheesy Nicholas Sparks movie moment that plays generic, sappy music that definitely involves a gratuitous harp solo, I stepped onto William & Mary’s campus and I just knew that’s where I wanted to be. My parents are in love with Williamsburg and we were visiting one day and I just fell in love with how pretty and peaceful the school is. I’m also kind of a huge nerd and love to be challenged academically, something I knew William & Mary could offer.

In the interest of full disclosure, I transferred to William & Mary, so something I was looking for was a change from the school I attended freshman year. Why I wanted to transfer is an entirely different story, and a long one at that, so let’s keep focus on why I picked W&M to transfer to. Here are a few reasons I decided to join the tribe.

1. I’m Low-Key Incredibly Directionally Challenged

Okay, so this might seem totally irrelevant to picking a school but hear me out. I grew up in Charlottesville constantly going on college tours of UVA, which is humongous. Thinking about trying to navigate campus while making it to class on time seemed like something I just didn’t want to deal with. That’s when I decided I wanted a smaller campus that’s not overly confusing to navigate. I had William & Mary’s buildings all figured out by my second week. Except for Tyler and Tucker of course, but let’s be honest, who doesn’t mistake those two buildings from time to time.

2. I Really Hate Crowds

I’m not really a ‘spend all of my time with tons of humans in a tight space’ kind of person, so I was looking for smaller class sizes, but not so small that I felt like I couldn’t take a mental health day every once in a while. (Something that I think is very important, but I’ll get into that in another blog post.) I also learn better in smaller classes because I feel like it’s easier to form some kind of connection with the professor.

3. I Love a Challenge

William & Mary isn’t nicknamed “the Ivy League of the South” for kicks and giggles. It’s a tough school. Personally, I find a more challenging academic environment to be more satisfying than simply coasting by. When I get bored I tend to completely check out, and I didn’t want to spend my college classes completely checked out. If you like learning, and taking seemingly random classes that actually provide you with History Channel-level fun facts this is definitely the place for you.

4. I’m All About the Liberal Arts Classes

Okay, so maybe not the math part, but I do think going to a liberal arts school is an excellent way to dip your toes into all sorts of new and interesting subjects you wouldn’t normally try out. For example, I took a history class called “Nubia in American Thought” to fulfill a history requirement and it was honestly one of the best classes I took. Before you knock the whole “I have to take a math/science/writing intensive class” thing, think about the incredibly dynamic information you’ll learn.

5. Have You SEEN the Campus?!

Yeah, I know, a pretty campus should not be the factor you use to pick a college, but why can’t it be one of them? Auburn and yellow leaves cover the brick pathways in the winter, and an array of flowers flood the campus in the spring. The little shops and Colonial Williamsburg give the university a very homey feeling. All in all I have to give this campus some serious kudos on how beautiful it is.