Take the class size. They remember that as freshmen the classes were smaller than some of the classes they had in high school. They recall stories from friends at other universities who walked into auditoriums filled with students. At UST the average class size is 18 students. There is more time for questions, more group discussions and more individual attention.
Students also treasure the relationships with faculty and other students that begin that first year.
One of the advantages of a small university is that as instructors and advisors, faculty get to know their students academically and individually. There are opportunities to interact in the classroom and other campus settings as well. Faculty and students share mealtime in the cafeteria or conversations in student lounges about everything from technical problems with a term paper to the new exhibit at the museum just down the street. Whether you commute or live on campus, student life is motivating and refreshing. Many feel that it is because of the diversity of the student body.