“Oh you go to UMass? That’s a party school,” is something that’s been said to almost every UMass student and most likely every state school student at least once in their life. It is utterly insulting to a student when their school is classified as a party school in an attempt to devalue their education. Most students at UMass would completely disagree about this criticism to their education, and most would even say that going to a “party school” can be a good thing.
Going to a school with tens of thousands of other students brings incredible amounts of diversity to everyday life. Students at large state schools like UMass meet other students their age from every socioeconomic status, ethnicity, sexuality, and background, bringing a new point of view to every interaction and classroom discussion. This ensures that all students are experiencing a viewpoint that is radically different than theirs, allowing all students to learn through others, in addition to lessons from their professors.
Large numbers of students and big class sizes encourage networking 24/7. By meeting people and exchanging names, numbers, facebook accounts, and eventually LinkedIn profiles, students become connected in a variety of ways that will help them in their future careers. Whether it be at a party, at a sports game, or in the classroon or club meeting, students are always getting to know their peers and networking at the same time.
Students at big schools also have an infinite amount of activities and clubs to choose from, in which they can meet people that come from different backgrounds with the same interests. Clubs encourage networking among members, and many of the numerous activities are great resume builders as well, because of the individuality of many of the organizations that are found at larger schools. Also, larger schools imply more members in clubs and more funding for clubs, leading to much greater possibilities for clubs to accomplish their goals.
More students and more networking opportunities develop social skills that students elsewhere may not have. The ability to strike a conversation, have an engaging group discussion, or productively accomplish a project with students of completely different viewpoints and backgrounds than yourself is a skill that students in small colleges do not frequently have the opportunity to develop. Skills like these are incredibly important no matter what career path a student may choose.
With all these options, students are forced to have incredible time management skills. With so many events, activities, sports games, and parties going on at UMass all the time, students have to prioritize their time extremely well in order to succeed. Students at larger schools must have the willpower and discipline to make the right choice, and the intelligence to succeed in their goals without distractions. So before you classify a state school as a party school, think about the immersive, diverse education the hardworking students at that university are receiving, while of course, having fun at the same time.