For some, the idea of moving out may be a daunting decision. You don’t know if you’re ready for it or not, for some, it may seem like too much. Hell, I cried the first few days I spent away from my family. But where I am now in my life, I’m glad I made that choice, and glad I made it all on my own. Though I can go on a whole spiel, there are a few big reasons why I’m glad I moved.

1. You value the time spent with family.

Moving away, especially a considerate distance away, has actually improved my relationship with my family. In high school, you see your family every day after school and on weekends, and look for any chance to get out of the house when you can. In college, time spent with family is few and far between for most. Some people go home during weekends, but most won’t see their family for months at a time, even missing out on holidays such as Thanksgiving as well as birthdays and weddings. This attaches greater worth to time spent with family.

2. You learn how to be responsible for yourself.

During high school, you probably had an alarm to wake you up, but it was either mom or dad who got you out of bed. They also might have made you breakfast and drove you to school (if you didn’t have a car), and would bring you your homework or lunch if you forgot it. These are not options in college. This is the time where you either shape up or fail. You must wake yourself up, get your own food, get yourself to class on time, and do everything else on your own. Having these small responsibilities placed upon you may at first seem difficult, but the sense of accomplishment you feel when you get the hang of it is one of the best. It feels one step closer to being a full-fledged adult.

3. You interact with many different points of view.

Where I live, it is generally accepted that Trump is a bad guy, going to church every Sunday was the norm, and most everybody had the same upbringing as I did. Going to school in an entirely different part of the country has expanded the way I look at the world. I’ve learned a lot from people whose backgrounds and experiences are far different from my own, and this has sharpened my knowledge and insight by allowing me to compare my life experiences to theirs. Rather than viewing the world through a single lens, I have become more self-aware and open to different ideas, ethics, and issues.

4. You learn more about what you want to do with your life.

Most of us go into college knowing what we want to do. For me it was becoming a doctor so I could help people, for some it was to become an artist or be an engineer. That changes a few semesters in. My second semester of Freshman year, I changed to a history major, despite the objections that it’s hard to make a living with a history degree. When I came to college, I did it so I could have a way to make a lot of money, but my major wasn’t what I loved. I figured, why put all your effort into something you don’t love to do? College is the time to look at yourself and say, “Hey, what do you want out of life?” Some people still don’t know what they want to do, but that’s ok, now is the time to find out.