When I decided to turn down a letter of acceptance into UBC Sciences four years ago to come to an unknown liberal arts university in Squamish, my friends and family were understandably skeptical. Now, two months away from being a part of Quest University’s fifth graduating class, I feel very confident with the choice I made.
To start, I cannot say for certain that my education here at Quest University is better than what I would have received at a conventional institution. Bigger schools have departments, and within those departments are very specific courses. With reputable universities on their diplomas and those fancy course titles on their transcripts, graduates of traditional institutions have a safe educational background to show off to the admission teams for graduate programs or future employers.
When I decided to pursue journalism as a “major” here at Quest, I knew what I was getting myself into. There’s only one course that I’ve taken that is explicitly related to this area of study, and it was called “Journalism.” Not Contemporary News Media or Feature Writing – both examples of undergraduate courses at other schools – just Journalism.
How I qualify my education here at Quest is my ability to make connections. Because there are few major-specific courses here, I have had to connect the material for many of my classes back to my interest. I’m proud that I am able to write journalistic-style pieces that showcase my understanding and communication of interdisciplinary topics.
I also value the connections I have made with people inside the university and around Squamish. Knowing a professor by name and being able to have a conversation – academic or otherwise –with them is a very under-rated perk of this institution. My month of work experience at The Squamish Chief has been a perfect end to my four years of living in this vibrant community.
In 2014, Quest was for the fourth time rated at the top of the National Survey of Student Engagement conducted by Maclean’s magazine. After visiting friends at UBC and sitting in on some of their classes, I can see why Quest trumps traditional university settings for student engagement. Only time will tell if experimenting with this different style will pay off for graduates.
