Why I love attending UConn’s Stamford branch

Some students are often quick to prefer Storrs because it offers a “more real college experience.” However, I have to disagree with that statement. Stamford has offered me an amazing college experience.

I’ve had my taste of both the UConn Storrs campus and Stamford regional campus. As much as I love both campuses, I’ve always preferred Stamford — Storrs just doesn’t cut it for me.

Of course, I realize that regional campuses don’t offer all majors or a vast amount of classes like Storrs does, but if students want to attend UConn, I suggest starting at a regional campus to at least finish their gen-eds. You’d also be able to save a lot of money. What college student doesn’t like to save money? Being at Stamford campus means no more purposefully forgetting my credit card so I’m not tempted to spend a crapload of money.

School size

I absolutely love the small community of the Stamford branch. The whole school is just one building and super cozy. Everything is available to you all in one location: the library, bookstore, gym, café, art gallery, and even student and financial aid services. There’s no need to walk far distances to get everything done. Even more, you’ll more likely to see more familiar faces of students, which makes it easier to make new friends.

At Storrs, I was so overwhelmed by the size and I often got lost. Worst of all, if you’re as stubborn or anti-social like me, asking for directions is out of the question. At the Stamford branch, the whole school is just three floors and easier to navigate.

Class size

Class sizes have always been a concern for me. I’ve always preferred small classes because I love the intimate educational environment that it provides. You really don’t just become a number and the professor actually knows your name. My smallest class is just eight students, and that’s including me. Nothing gets more intimate than sharing a two and a half hour class period with seven other students, right?

The largest classrooms in school fit about 40-60 students, which really isn’t that big. In Storrs, my largest class had over 250 students and I just couldn’t learn in that environment. So, if you like smaller class sizes, a regional campus just may be a perfect start to your college career.

Library

I’ve always loved going to the library to study, I can never focus when I study in my room. At Storrs, I spent forever trying to find a nice, quiet seat within the library. Looking for a seat cut a good chunk off my studying time.

At Stamford, there’s no more shoving people out of the way to get a good seat. Luckily, not everyone goes to the library. Students commute from different areas and fluctuate in and out of the campus. I always have a quiet spot ready for me in Stamford’s library. If I don’t, which is never really the case, then I can just go to public library down the street from the school.

Less walking in harsh weather

Storrs has some pretty gnarly weather from scorching heat to extremely cold days. Mother nature does not give a damn whether you have an 8am or not. She is ruthless in Storrs and she’ll attack you on your way to class.

At Stamford, fortunately, you don’t have to deal with her because all classes are located inside just one building. Since, all classes are in close proximity, there’s no need for walking in harsh weather or long distances to get to class, which I absolutely love.

Restaurants

I love going out to restaurants but there were few restaurants at Storrs that were in close proximity of each other. They were a bit spread out and you couldn’t get to some restaurants unless you had a car. I love food so I need variety when it comes to restaurants.

Luckily, Stamford is located in the downtown area and, as a result, a lot of great restaurants are in walking distance of the campus and they’re all actually very delicious. Student’s favorite restaurants in Stamford seem to be Remo’s and Buffalo Wild Wings. One time I was so excited to eat at Remo’s, I ran into the restaurant, bumped into a table, and knocked over a plate. Yeah…it’s that good.

However, there’s a lot of variety of restaurants from Indian to Mexican, Chinese, Italian, and more. There are even a lot of bars that students can attend.

Overall, the Stamford regional campus is a great school. It may not be as big as Storrs or offer as many majors or classes, but it’s a great option if students want to finish their general requirements or save some money.

I’d suggest giving it a try if you’re a student and in need of some credits. You might just like it!