In my last post, I discussed how it is important to consider the distance you will be from your family when looking at prospective colleges. Another important thing to consider when looking at schools is how much there is to do off campus in the town in which the school is located.

When you’re first looking at colleges, it’s very easy to focus just on campus life– what the classrooms are like, how big the dorm rooms are, the faculty-to-student ratio, how tasty (or disgusting) the dorm cafeteria food is, etc. But remember, you may not want to spend every waking moment for all four years on campus. This new city is a place you’ll be living for four years, not just attending class and sleeping in a dorm room, so you need to be sure it will meet your needs for entertainment and social activities.

Some people will do perfectly fine in a small college town. Maybe you grew up in a small town and are already accustomed to it. Or if you think you will be kept very busy with academics, school sports, Greek life, or other campus-related activities, the size of your college town may not matter.

However, if you love going out to clubs and bars, eating at interesting restaurants, attending major concerts, or shopping often, remember that a small town may not be able to provide all that for you. When you are looking at a school in a small town, ask yourself if you will get all the entertainment and satisfaction you need from your campus life or if you do want to be in a city that provides entertainment off-campus. This varies for everybody.

I remember during my college search, I became very interested in several small liberal arts colleges in New England. They looked so beautiful, had interesting majors and minors, were known to have very intellectual students, some had unique grading systems, and so on. But then I did my research and I discovered that many of these colleges were in very rural areas. Some were in very tiny towns, and others in isolated areas miles away from towns (that were tiny).

I grew up in Houston, a very big city, and was accustomed to having endless things to do at all hours of the day and night. I realized I would probably be very unhappy in a tiny little town, especially during cold winter months. Austin was a great fit for me because it is a big city with much to do both on and off campus.

Do some self-discovery and try to figure out what your needs are, and if your potential school meets them. Some colleges and universities, regardless of how big or small of a city it is located in, provide plenty of entertainment for their students on the campus. Some have movie theaters, bowling alleys, eateries, coffee shops, concerts, and more. If you’re concerned about not having enough to do, do some research and find out what types of activities your school does offer. It may be more than enough. After all, you don’t want to get too distracted from your studies!