When students are considering what school to attend for college, they focus on several concerns and needs. Do I want a school in a city or a small town? How far away from home do I want to be? Does the college have the major I want? But there's another major aspect students should be considering when applying to and choosing a college: diversity on campus. In addition to the previous questions, also ask: What is the percentage of minority students? How many students of faith are there in the student body? What is the student gender breakdown? Choosing your future school is a personal choice, so it’s important to do what will make you most comfortable and enjoy the experience! But your college environment will have a major impact on you going into your adult life. Here are three ways a diverse college community will enhance your experiences and change your life.
Diversity will help you learn outside the classroom
Being on college campuses where there are many people from different backgrounds with a wide variety of interests will educate you outside the classroom and allow you to meet people you may not have met had you gone to a less diverse school. Going to a college with a less homogeneous student body also allows you to understand and experience hobbies, religions, ethnicities, or backgrounds you may have not been exposed to before, and you can learn a lot from this exposure to new lifestyles. A girl on my dorm floor was from China, and on the first day we all arrived, she handed my roommates and me small packages of candy and tea from China; that’s when we learned that it was a Chinese tradition to give people you visit or room with little gifts. You learn something new every day and learn to appreciate these small acts of people sharing their culture with you!
Related: 4 Ways You Bring Culture and Diversity to Your College
Diversity will make you a more social person
When you talk to people who are different from you, it may feel difficult to find commonalities if you grew up in wildly different environments. But as you increasingly talk to different types of people, you'll come to learn how to be flexible in a multitude of conversations and enjoy talking to people with unique experiences. Opening your mind to the diversity your campus and the world have to offer will allow you to connect with others a lot more openly and exchange ideas, beliefs, and lifestyles. Any school with an emphasis on diversity really makes socializing a more interesting and enjoyable activity.
Diversity will make you more prepared for life after graduation
Let’s face it—once you graduate college, you’re headed into a world of unpredictability. Who knows who you’ll meet, what your career will be, or where you’ll live? Going to a school with a diverse student body can help prepare you to interact with people of another background or interest than you, which you may not have experienced before. Being at a school with little diversity will keep you in close contact with people similar to yourself, and although that is not an issue, it may benefit you to meet people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, ideas, and beliefs because out of college, it is most likely you will be encountering diverse people.
Related: Looking to the Future: How to Prepare Now for a Better Life After College
Diversity is more important in education and the workplace than ever before in today's fast-paced and growing world. Ensuring you attend a college that emphasizes diversity means you know it's a place with a welcoming community where all students can thrive. This kind of environment is key to fostering a good academic mindset and making a positive impact on your future in a diverse world.
With these guidelines, it’s up to you to decide which types of diversity are most important to you in your college plans. For more guidance, check out the articles under the College Diversity section on CollegeXpress.
