And with that, the first semester of the year is over, and for many, it’s the first semester of college. Over the past few months, I’ve changed, learned, and discovered more than I ever thought I could. But as I am sitting in my dorm room, ready to go home for the weekend, I realized something that did make my first semester of college easier; staying close to home. As most of my friends are packing up for the long haul at home, I’ve just thrown some of my clothes in a backpack as I’ll be back in a few days to take my last final and get the rest. Being a 25 minute drive away from home was the perfect distance as I was still able to live on my own and have my own space yet be close to my family and home.

I first saw the benefits of staying close to home when I realized I forgot some of my things at home after move-in. Thanks to my mother, she was able to swing by later that weekend with a power strip, hairbrush, towels, and some extra storage. And it didn’t stop there, my mom brought me medicine when I was sick, hats and mittens when it started getting colder, and enough chocolate to feed my whole floor (even though my roommate and I were able to finish it singlehandedly). And while I know she would’ve stopped by every day if she could, she still kept her space so it wasn’t too much.

They say it’s not healthy to visit home for the first 6 weeks of school, but just after that time, I got my first sickness in college. Almost everyone gets it, it’s inevitable since you’re living so close to so many others. Fortunately for me, I went home that weekend and rested up and didn’t have to miss any class the following week after feeling better. My quick visit was also able to cure my small dose of homesickness and I felt even more refreshed.

A few more times after that I was able to go home for a night or a weekend for special occasions. One of the hardest parts of being the first sibling to go to college is that you miss out on seeing your younger siblings grow up during the year. While I couldn’t get back for every concert or game, I was still able to see my brother perform with the marching band at his first Homecoming game and see my sister in her middle school play.

Lastly, going to school close to home is not only great during the semester but also on breaks, especially at a big state school like mine. Over Thanksgiving break, I was still able to see my roommate with less than an hour drive. And we’ve already made plans with friends for winter break. There's no need to have emotional good-byes when you leave for breaks because all your friends are just a short drive away.

Even though a lot of people are concerned with not truly moving away from home when they go to a nearby school, I’ve still felt like I can be a part of the college life. You still get to experience every rite of passage that a college freshman goes through and the chance to be on your own. But you still have a piece of home with you while starting your new life. I wouldn’t have wanted to go anywhere else.