I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, and I made the bold decision last year to attend Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Now I'm wrapping up my freshman year, so I've compiled a list of all of the oh-so very real struggles that come along with going to school across the country. I'd say I drive the struggle bus to school, but let's face it -- the bus isn't even an option when you live over 2,000 miles away. I have to buy a ticket to hop on the struggle plane.
1. You have to ship your stuff that doesn't fit in your multitude of suitcases
While others can stuff a car full with all of their stuff, you know there is no way you are carrying all of your stuff across the airport. You already have three huge bags, and you probably won't be growing any extra arms any time soon.
2. You don't have a car
Your parents most likely aren't going to get you a new car to keep at school. If you're one for driving back and forth across country, props to you. For the rest of us, we have to rely on mooching rides off of our friends with cars.
3. You don't go home unless it's a holiday break
It sounds like such a foreign concept to me when people tell me that they're going home for the weekend. Honey, if I went home for a weekend, I would be there for approximately two hours before I had to catch my flight back.
4. You're constantly getting packages from the mail room
If you need something from home, there is really no other way to get it. At my school, the walk to get mail is the farthest walk on campus.
5. You go to a friend's closer house/hometown during short breaks
The break really has to be longer than four days to even consider going all the way home. Your friends will get used to you needing to be taken in for a few days. The actual stay at the friend's house is not a struggle at all and is actually very fun, but figuring out if any friends can adopt you for a few days can get hectic.
6. You have to buy your plane tickets in advance
Plane tickets get more expensive every second you wait. You may buy your tickets over a month in advance to fly home on Friday, but then all of your classes get cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday. Next thing you know, your whole extended family is together while you're stranded at school with barely any people left and no reason to be there. Good thing your tickets are non-refundable.
7. Time changes
Not only was your flight four hours long, but you also lost two more hours due to time changes. You took off in the morning sun and landed into the pitch black night. You actually lose an entire day to going home.
8. Jet Lag
You are pretty messed up for a while after you've been traveling. Awake when you should be asleep or asleep when you should be awake, you're really just wrong until you can finally readjust.
9. People are shocked when they find out where you're from
This one may not apply to everyone, but the majority of my school is made up students from one of two places: "an hour away" or the Bay Area. This means that unless something about you really stands out screaming, "I'm not from here," people will assume you're also from one of those places. I can't tell you how many people have said, "You just seem like you're from the Bay Area," to me.
10. All of your friends live by each other
All of your friends grew up around each other, have heard of each other's high schools, or had mutual friends coming into college. You sit patiently and wait until there is a conversation you are able to contribute to again.
11. No one offers to visit you in the summer
When you go home for long breaks, you don't get to see any of your college friends. This means that you can't see the people that you spend the majority of the year with all summer. Unless your friends have private jets or unlimited time and money, there probably won't be many people that can to visit you.
Even though there are many struggles that come along with going to college far away, you know that you wouldn't prefer it any other way. You love your school, your friends, and your new life, and you wouldn't trade it for a school any closer to home. The distance also forces you to become more independent, which is a key ingredient of becoming a real adult. In the end, being able to choose wherever you feel that you want to go to school regardless of the distance from home is worth all of the struggles. I'm so thankful that my mom let me pick my own path. If you're too scared to venture far away from home, be brave! All I can say is that it's one of the best decisions I've ever made.
