Since entering your teenage years, most of you probably already have it set in your mind that you'll want to go to college far away from home, especially if you're from a small town like me. Going into my junior year of high school, I thought I had my mind made up about where I'd end up after high school. I wanted to attend college somewhat far away from home. I began visiting schools in Pennsylvania and southern NY, colleges that were far enough from where I lived. The thing is, I really didn't know for sure if going away for school was the right idea; I just saw so many of my friends planning to go far away and get out of the small town we all grew up in, and I sort of felt pressured to do the same. However, deciding to go to college close to home in New Paltz, NY was actually one of the best decisions I made for myself.

When I committed to SUNY New Paltz back in the spring of 2016, a lot of my friends questioned my decision. They wondered why I wanted to stay so close to home and why I didn't want to get away. New Paltz was ultimately the most affordable option for me and, at the time, I wasn't all too thrilled about being so close to home because I was worried I wouldn't gain a sense of independence or freedom. I came to realize, now into my second semester at New Paltz, that this was not the case at all. Everything I expected to happen, didn't, and everything turned out for the better. Many high school students have preconceived notions about college. They, like me at one point, believe going far away from college is just the social norm, something they are expected to do. They look at those people who went to community college or college 30 minutes from their home town and think that those people aren't getting the full college experience, that they haven't cut their ties with their hometown life. Let me just say that all of those people are wrong. You should in no way hesitate to go to college close to home because you're afraid you'll never be independent. I made the decision before coming to New Paltz that I wanted to live on campus so that I could become better adjusted at school, make friends, and live on my own. Making that decision really helped me because even though I am 30 minutes from home, I feel far away. I've found my own community at my school, made friends, and grown accustomed to being an independent individual. Yes, I know that I'm close to my house and all, but it doesn't make a difference because living on campus and spending all my time at school makes me feel the same as if I went to college 3 hours away.

I have found a lot of advantages of going to college close to home. I have my own life at school and I'm more than content not living at home. However, sometimes I feel grateful that home is nearby. For one, packing for college is not an issue for me. I don't have to haul every seasonal clothing garment I own to college with me. I can pack up my winter wardrobe when the warmer weather rolls around and just go home and swap them out for my spring and summer clothes. I can also go home easily at any point, whether the reason be that I'm having an emotional crisis, or I just need a break from school. When I get sick, I don't have to miss class and hole up in my dorm room, exposing my room mate to my sickness; I can just go home for a few days to recuperate.

Okay, so maybe I can call home my safety net while I'm in college, but what's wrong with that? I still have the best of everything with gaining my independence at school, but also having the opportunity to retreat to the comfort of my home when needed. Staying close to home for college isn't necessarily a bad thing. You might be afraid of doing it because you think you won't have a fulfilled college experience, or you won't be independent enough, but trust me, just because you're close, doesn't mean you can't be far.