Reply to Big state schools - lot of fun, great networks, but do you really learn there?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]" I was able to take at least one seminar per semester, sometimes more, with no more than 15-20 students. I had fantastic advisors, who I still keep in touch with, and defended my undergraduate thesis before a panel of academics. I took an amazing class from the President of University (and former Dean of the law school), and he ended up writing my recommendation for law school."

What I find odd is that the people who argue the large schools are great learning environments will almost always point to the things that make them most like a small LAC.

Why doesn't anybody talk about the benefits and upsides of classes where you are one of 400 students? Nobody mentions the upside of being able to walk around campus without running into anybody you know all day. How about the wonders of sharing an off-campus apartment after freshman year because the school has a housing crunch? That can really bring down the price of room & board. [/quote]

I'm the PP you are quoting and you are missing the point.  At a large school, for motivated, self-directed students, you get the best of both worlds.  Small, LAC-type classes along with world-class research opportunities, tons of majors/areas of study, enormous catalog of courses, fun atmosphere.  I really liked living off-campus with the friends, in our own house -- some of the best memories in my life were times spent in that house!  It's also a good preparation for life in the real world, cooking and cleaning for yourself.

I do take your point that at a big school you can run into someone at a coffee shop or a party and then never see them again.  Though my guess is that with social media that is much less of an issue than it was in my day.

And to be clear, I am not at all knocking LACs and can see how they provide the right environment for certain kids.  But I do take issue with the title of this thread, calling into question whether the quality of the learning at a big state school is on par with a LAC.  OP's original question stated, "Or is it more like watching good Ted talks and then handing something in (and then getting an A because most of the kids are in staters producing high school level work)."  That is obnoxiously off-base.

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