Comments on: In support of smaller-scale learning

By: Mark Lawson

Mark Lawson — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:52:13 +0000

I couldn’t agree more. The students I lived and studied with at Bishop’s have gone on to grad schools, or onto interesting jobs.
My thinking? The small undergraduate institutions are good at prepping for life in the “real world” or grad school, and the perfect place to grow and make lasting connections. Typically, they are also in smaller communities, forcing students to live together away from home. This leads to a unique, immersive experience.

Go small unis! It’s time for Canada to have a “Small 5″ based on the principles of something like the Annapolis Group in the USA.

By: grace

grace — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:09:41 +0000

Our three daughters (aged 26, 24 and 22) have so far (or are currently studying at) Trent, Nipissing, Western, Carleton, Bishops and University of Toronto. My advice to anyone looking toward university? Bigger is not better; if you want quality head for a small university.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:35:49 +0000

With an undergrad from a small Maritime university, and a graduate degree (working on the second one!) from one of the Big 5, I could confidently state that had I been subject to the sort of learning environment that I saw the students in the classes I TAd go through (600 person first-year courses!), I would have gotten the heck out of there, and wouldn’t have made it to grad school…

By: Katherine

Katherine — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:00:34 +0000

I think you have a really good point.
After all, isn’t learning – for the sake of it, because you love learning and want to be at school – about engagement with those around you? It’s not a one dimensional succession of power point slides.
I’ve found that in third year, for the first time (outside of traditionally small j-school workshops), my classes are suddenly small, even intimate. It’s wonderful, but it also makes me feel like this is the first year that any resources have really been devoted to me, as a student, by my university.
This close relationship with my profs and fellow students is a welcome turn from jumbo-classrooms, and it;s a compelling reason to pursue a nice, small grad school program.
Good job for choosing King’s!

By: Todd Pettigrew

Todd Pettigrew — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:59:55 +0000

So many commentators blithely moan about how “universities” have become so big, how students never meet actual professors, how teaching is not valued. This may be true in some parts of Canada, but not in the Maritimes, for the most part.

You want your kids to be in small classes with real professors who actually like to teach? Send them east.