Out of the 4,000 colleges in the United States, why would you pick a school closer to home? I'm sure many of you have this question, and if you've decided to go to a college close to home you know that it's one of the best choices you've made. Here are 5 reasons why going to college closer to home is the best!

1. Can't afford to do laundry at school? No problem!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, as much as your parents want you to be independent and learn to do simple adulthood tasks, most parents are always happy to let you do your laundry at home. Not only do you save money from having to use the laundry machines at school, it gives you an excuse to get a home cooked meal every once in a while.

2. Home cooked meals

This is the best part, because while other people have to eat dining hall meals 3 times a day, seven days a week; you have the option to eat something mom or dad made for you at least once a week. Even if you live on campus, and you only visit home on weekends or once a week, you'll love that one meal that didn't come from the dining hall for sure!

3. What's homesick

When you live super far from home, you can't visit your family very much which may result in you being homesick. But you can't be homesick for very long if you live close to home. If you miss your pets or your family, they're only a short drive away! That usually is very comforting when you are going to a new school and everything in your life is changing, to be able to go home and visit something that you recognize makes the transition better.

4. Feeling sick?

Whether that be just a small 24 hour bug or the actual flu, you can always go home and have your parents help you feel better quicker. They always know what to help make you feel better, so why not use that to your advantage? Instead of sitting in your dorm room wondering what you need to take and when and what to do to feel better. Plus, nothing makes you feel better than being in your own bed and in your own home when you're sick.

5. It makes the transition to college life so much easier

Some people may tell you that going to a school farther away makes you more independent and helps let you have the full college experience but how can you be happy if you don't feel at home in your dorm? I personally found that living close to home makes the whole dorm life easier; because everything you need is close by. Is it getting too cold at night and you need extra blankets or sweatshirts? It's all right by you, you don't have to wait for it all to get shipped over to you. Too many clothes and you don't need the extra clothes at school? You can drop them off at home, instead of trying to find space for the extra clothes.

Choosing a college is very hard, but if you tend to be a family person, and truly depend on that family relationship; then I would suggest going to a school closer to home. I find that overall, you can have a full college experience and still have that close family relationship if you go to college close to home.