By Allen Brewer

Recently students from Northwest Mississippi Community College took a college visit day to the University of Mississippi and I learned that the size of the fish is only comparative to the size of its swimming hole.

On Feb. 22, a group of Phi Theta Kappa students took a tour of Ole Miss to learn about transferring. I was really excited to be going, but when I drove to the end of University Drive the size of the campus hit me.

I should first point out that I am a student at the Lafayette-Yalobusha Technical Center, a very small but welcoming college. The staff and faculty at Northwest have been like family to me, most of them even call me by my first name. I was honored by their nomination for the Hall of Fame award.

There has always been something about Ole Miss that has felt foreign to me. With its arching doorways, white pillars and gilded ceilings, I felt like I had left Oxford.

I know that Oxford is a university town and that Ole Miss is a staple in the community, but compared to the countryside and downtown area, where I spend most my time, it seemed like a different world. Compared to Northwest, it felt like academia Disney World.

With so many large buildings, I was not sure on to which ride to get on first. I followed the guides, who were all very nice, to the different locations trying to keep up and see all the things that were being offered.

Everyone I met was very kind and helpful. I thought about my upcoming transfer and how I would adjust to living amongst the crowds. I might not be able to win most notable student, but I think I could swim with the current.

After our tour, we had lunch in the Ole Miss Market and took our group photos. Later, I met up with my friend and current Ole Miss student Keysha, she would die if she saw her name in the paper, and talked about what it was like to be a student.

As a community college transfer, the move to a major university can be hard. Because of its large student population and various study programs, keeping up with old friends can be difficult.

I’m not really worried about being noticed or being popular. I am just glad to be finishing my degree in my hometown. It will be a different experience than Northwest, but at least I will not be the only little fish in the sea.

As I walked past the Lyceum to my car a thought came to me — what do you call a group of little fish?

A school.