Going out of state for college is one of the best decisions most students make. High schoolers are eager to spread their wings and go to school far away from home. However, most of us don’t realize how much changes when you leave home. You become engulfed in a new town with new people and have to learn your way around and how to live without your parents or any guidance. While there are numerous perks to being far away from mommy and daddy, the long distance from home also spurs many struggles.
1. Finding local anything: hairdressers, doctors, etc.
For all the girls who religiously get their hair done at the same salon, or have gone to the same pediatrician their whole life, going away from college means two things. First, that you have to make a decision to get your all your appointments done when you go home a handful amount of times throughout the year, or you have to try and figure out a place to go on your own. Advice: ask someone local!
2. Not being able to just drive home for the weekend
This doesn’t apply to everyone out of state because sometimes out of state is only two hours away, but for a majority of out of state it’s a 10 hour drive away or two plane rides. We can’t just go home for a 3 day weekend-well, without spending at least $300 on a plane ticket.
3. No one knowing your actual hometown, just the major city in your state
Because, apparently if you are from a certain state, you’re from the capital or most touristy place there. No one knows where your small suburb, or hometown is-only the major city it’s a suburb to. They assume that all the big cities are near each other, and often don’t realize how far away from home you actually are.
4. Not growing up a die hard fan of your school
Because you go to school so far away from home most people in your town or state are fans of their hometown or home state university and don’t know anything about the school you’re going to. You don’t have baby pictures in your out of state’s school jersey or cheerleader costume because most likely you aren’t going to a school your parents went to.
5. Tuition being double what it is for in state
College is expensive kids, especially out of state. Thank your parents, get good grades, and make the most of it.
6. Having no one from your high school go to your college
When college t-shirt day rolls around you’re the only one repping your new school. You’re one of the brave few that leave home and actually leave their comfort zone and therefore you often stick out. Going to college away means a clean slate, and that also means knowing no one in your new town, and college means all new friends.
7. Not being able to bring your car to school
Driving your car 23 hours to school just isn’t possible for a lot of students. This means that a lot of students use public transportation, or your trip to Target turns into carpooling 20 girls because you’re the only friend with a car. You learn to make friends with cars, friends with cars are friends to keep.
8. Using your GPS to get you places because you don’t know your way around town
What are back roads? Shortcuts? Moving to a new town means knowing where nothing is and relying solely on your maps app.
9. Finding good places to eat or shop
Store names and brands change from state to state-even going to the grocery store is completely different. Finding a good mall, cute boutiques, or even a good restaurant or a hole in the wall place to eat are things that can’t always be found on google. Again, it’s good to make friends with local people.
10. Learning the trends, fashion, and twang of your new area
New people, new style, new words, and a whole new place. Words like “y’all” or “wicked” come up and you have to learn to use them, but not too much because you don’t want your friends at home to hear you and make fun of you. Also what people wear and how they dress can be completely different. You learn what is acceptable at home to wear and what is acceptable in college. Things at home just aren't the same as they are in college.
