Going to college out of state can be great, scary, fun, overwhelming, an adventure and pretty much everything in between. I love going to college out of state but there are definitely some challenges that every out of state college student will come to find true...
- You won’t have (as many) people from your hometown with you- While everyone in state has a ton of people from their high school in your class, your friends will be back at home or all spread out. This can certainly be annoying at times but it also means you get to have a totally new group of friends in college and have your friend group back home.
- You won’t know the supermarkets- Supermarkets vary town by town and state by state and the names can be really weird so better pic up what's a supermarket and what isn’t fast or you’re going to end up at a gas station with friends when you needed to buy groceries.
- You won’t have been a (insert school mascot) fan since you were born- I’ve met so many people who has been dressed in their school colors since their first birthdays. For an out of state student you either haven’t been wearing college colors your whole life or you have and they aren’t the “right” ones anymore.
- You will be told you have an accent- I didn’t even know it was possible to have a New York accent, but being in Ohio people seem to think I do and bets are you have an accent as well.
- Moving all of your stuff will be a nightmare- Getting all your clothes from your home onto a plane isn’t fun, but neither is a really long car ride or mailing everything to a dorm. Honestly, there just isn’t a good option, and then storing it over the summer isn’t any better.
- Going home for the weekend isn’t an option- Chances are you don’t have your car with you and if you did a 15-hour drive (or $200 plane ticket) isn’t really worth it for three days no matter how much you want to go home. While I must admit I miss my home cooked meals and dog an unbearable amount at times, I've never been able to pop into my hometown for a weekend like some of my friends (who I am so jealous of when I'm missing home).
- No one is going to root for your sports team but you- I’ve met one new york giants fan since I’ve been here. just one. So chances are everyone will root for sports teams you never heard of before coming to college.
- You will cherish your time at home- Out of state students come to realize how amazing their school is, but also how amazing it is to be home. When you live far away you realize how important your family, friends, and hometown truly are.
While being an out of state student can be hard sometimes I wouldn't trade my two homes for anything and I think most other out of state students would agree.
