When people think college, they think move-in day at the dorms hours away from home. They think about the "college experience," living on ramen noodles and starting over completely. When I think of college, I think of a campus 30 minutes from home, a green commuter sticker, and the same bedroom I've had since I was 10.

When I graduate my diploma will be a diploma all the same; there won't be a discount sticker that decreases its value or meaning because I never lived on campus. I promise.

When I started weighing my college options, I absolutely despised even having a commuter college on my list. I refused to believe that a school so close to home could be the perfect choice, but thankfully, I was wrong. Here are five reasons that I am thankful I chose not to go away for college.

1. Money, Money, Money

When it came right down to it, as bad as I hated it, it was the school closest to home that dug the deepest in their scholarship pockets. To go to another school, hours away offering half the money was preposterous. A private school stamp nor a different area, makes the knowledge any more valuable.

2. The Fam

Family has always been an integral part of who I am. I always dreaded the day that I'd have to miss my sister's homecoming or first middle school game or my mom's birthday, but choosing a school close to home has given me the opportunity to be a part of so many precious memories that I could not imagine missing. Not to mention, there is nothing like coming home to your mom after an insanely stressful day. She can't hug you over the phone.

3. A Time To Grow

Part of college is learning and growing, and really finding who you are meant to be. Staying home for college didn't limit that opportunity for me. Instead it actually expanded it, giving me a more unique opportunity to find who I am without the fear of hitting the ground full force, by myself. By in large, I have had the same opportunities as almost every other college student, but instead of making that great leap from high school into the the college world of the unknown, I've had time to ease into it; test the waters, make mistakes, and get right back up (without going into culture shock). Not everyone needs this transition period, but I sure did.

4. Coming Home To MY BED

I understand that part of the college experience is all about dorms and apartments and roommates and RA's, but never underestimate the power of coming home to your own bed in a full-sized room; not to mention that it cost nothing more than loving your family. There will come a day when I pay for the space that I lay my head, but thankfully that day is not today, and that just decreases my already over-flowing stress load.

5. Building My Future

College is that weird phase of life that no matter what you do, it's for your future (or at least that's the way it seems). Staying home for college has given me a window to really start planning for the rest of forever. I have such an amazing support system and have made so many invaluable connections, all while coming home every night. When I graduate, the majority of my college will be paid off. I don't have to spend then next 15 years thinking about how to pay off my students loans, and when I make my first official big girl dollar it can go directly into my savings account.

So maybe I didn't get to experience every high and every low of college, like that first night away from home or not sleeping because everyone on your hall is awake. But I think I've got all the experience I need and that ever so important diploma, and at the end of the day, I'm still as much a college student as the next one (just a little more financially sound)!