Being an out-of-state student is hard. There are some things that we out-of-staters have to go through and experience that in-state students will never quite understand. I couldn't imagine going to another university, because, let's face it, Longwood University is the best out there... but it is hard going to a school so far away from home, family, and friends. Luckily the transition wasn't as hard for me as it is for some out-of-staters, because I have extended family close by. Nonetheless, here are four things that every out-of-state student can relate to:
1. Homesickness
I cannot tell you how annoyed I get when my friends whose family lives one to three hours away complain of being homesick. My mother lives eight hours — three states — away. I can't just go home on the weekend, and, even if I could, I wasn't allowed to have a car on campus my freshman year. Thank God for cell phones.
2. Regional gas stations
Every area has one gas-station-convenience-store that is around every corner. My college friends are used to Sheetz or Wawa. In my hometown of Richmond Hill, Georgia, it's Parker's. None of my college friends understand what I mean when I say, "I'm going for a Parker's run," but all of my friends back home would accept this with no questions. Maybe it's a Georgia thing, but it actually boggles my mind that people don't go for Sheetz or Wawa runs.
3. Regional lingo
I've always considered myself to have a pretty neutral voice. Turns out, I have a southern accent. The funny thing is, Virginia has some pretty southern accents as well. I guess Georgia is considered the deep south to them. Regardless of accents, every region has phrases or words that are particular to that region. Just like no one in Virginia knows what I mean when I say, "I'm going on a Parker's run," no one in Georgia would understand what I was talking about if I said, "I'm headed to NOVA this weekend."
4. Money
Why is it that colleges charge out-of-state students more than in-state students? Does it cost more for them to house us? No. I am so grateful that my father is in the military and claims residency in the state that I attend college in, but, despite this, I did have to pay that extra $15,000 my freshman year. It's already harder for us to get to school, so why make it harder for us to pay for it? Obviously we're serious about your school if we're traveling across multiple states to go there. We shouldn't have to pay more to prove our loyalty.
Don't get me wrong, I love my university and would never even consider transferring. It just gets a little tough being an out-of-state student sometimes.
