College is a time to explore and learn new things. This can be more difficult to do if you go to school close to home, and even more so if you stay in your hometown. So many people do this, however, and have a good experience. So, what's the deal? Is going to school in your hometown a mistake, or can you still get the true college experience in the place you grew up? Honestly, it could go either way, depending on what you do while you're there. Here are some do's and don'ts to going to school in your hometown so you can get the most of your college years!
DON'T: Go to a school just because it's close to home.
Your family, friends and everything you grew up with are hard to leave. But part of growing up is learning to adjust to new surroundings and develop new relationships. Getting out and living in a new place is one of the best ways to accomplish those things!
ALSO DON'T:Go to a school just because it's far from home.
Some people just have an itch to get out and explore the world. In all of the hype about getting out and finding a cool campus or sunny location, it's easy to forget that what we're really supposed to be looking for is a school with a good educational program and opportunities to pursue our interests before getting out in the real world.
DO: Go to a school that's right for you- regardless of location.
Location may be important, but there are a lot of other factors to weigh when deciding to attend a school. Program of study, extra-curricular and scholarships are just a few of the many things to consider when making a selection.
DON'T: Hang out with only your friends from high school.
It's great that you had a good group of friends in high school, and going to college together probably seems like a great idea, too. However, if you spend all of your time with the same people you did in high school, you're missing out on thousands of new people you could be getting to know.
DO: Be friendly to people you knew "back in the day."
I hear way too many people who completely avoid anyone they knew from before college. Plenty of people reinvent themselves when they graduate, but that doesn't mean you have to pretend that all of the people you knew before that don't exist.
DON'T: Live at home out of convenience.
Moving into a dorm or apartment can be intimidating. Doing your own laundry, making your own food, setting your own schedule— All of this on top of living with a bunch of strangers can make for a stressful situation. However, it's also an opportunity to meet a ton of people your age, as well as learn independence.
DO: Live at home to lessen a legitimate burden.
I believe living on campus is a huge part of life as a student, but not an absolute necessity. If living in campus housing would mean a huge financial burden, or you have family members to take care of, living at home while attending school is a perfectly valid option.
DON'T: Visit your family every weekend.
Family time is important, but so is spending time on campus and making new friends at school. The best time to do that is definitely the weekend! There's always plenty of events to check out, many of them free, for people of all interests.
DO: Take advantage of your family being close.
I do not mean take your laundry home for your mom instead of doing it yourself, even though I know of plenty of people who do. What I do mean is that your family is a great resource for the tough times. Sick? Sure, go home and get taken care of. Stressed? Take a trip home to visit your dog. Got a cool game room, or in my case, fire pit? Offer to watch the house for a weekend, and take your payment in the form of your friends getting to come over while you do.
There are so many things to do before and while in college, and the same advice won't work for everyone. But as someone attending school in the town I've lived in since I was two years old, living five minutes from my family's home, and working in a department tangentially related to my mom's, I've still managed to get what I think is the real "college experience." There's no place I'd rather be. Go 'Clones!
