Picking a smaller university definitely has its benefits – not only can you make personal connections with your professors, but you also can get to know a wide chunk of the student body in just four years. One of my favorite things about Christopher Newport (but really, I have so many), is how on any given day I pass friendly faces in the Trible Plaza, on the Great Lawn, and up and down the halls of my academic buildings.
Just this past week, I met with the director of CNU’s Master of Arts in Teaching program to figure out my classes for next semester. You see, I discovered two of the classes I needed to graduate occurred at the same time, so I dashed – panic-stricken – to an advising meeting.
Don’t worry; everything has worked itself out, and I will be dancing across the graduation stage in May.
As I strolled back through campus, I took time to really notice what surrounded me. Stately columns, brick paving stones, autumn leaves strewn throughout the perpetually green Great Lawn … all things I’m already beginning to miss as I inch closer and closer to graduation. When I got to the Plaza, I stumbled upon a girl I’ve been friends with since freshman year. We sat barefoot in the sunlight on the steps of the Trible Library and swapped senior-year stories; I told her how my graduation had just been saved and she told me about the undergrad research she was doing (it went just a little over my head). For a few minutes, all of our busy-ness paused. We were simply two Captain friends enjoying a fall day before diving back into the stress of post-midterm life.
CNU doesn’t offer me the large school experience, but I’ve decided the friends and laughs I’ve gained here count so much more than televised football games and giant lecture halls. With a close-knit community like ours, you’ll always run into someone to share your stories with.
