The time of year has rolled around in which many college students have to decide which college they are going to attend. It's more than a decision about where you'll be continuing your education; it's deciding where you'll make friends, become involved, personally develop, and figure out who you want to be.
When making the decision to figure out what school you're going to attend, there is pressure from every direction imaginable, whether it's from family members, friends, boyfriends or girlfriends, or financial and geographical pressure. You're going to hear a million different things from a million different people, but ultimately, the decision is not just for you, it's about you.
You may have applied to more colleges than you can count on your fingers, or you may have applied to just one or two. Either way, you have to make a decision.
List out the pros and cons of each school. Ask yourself questions to figure out what you do and don't like. Do they offer your major? Do you like the way the campus looks? (This is important. You're going to be spending a lot of time on your campus, so make sure you're in love with the look and feel of it.) Is it too far from home, or close enough to home to leave for the weekend? Does the student body have a lot of school spirit? Do you know anyone going? Whatever questions you may come up with, use them to weigh out the positives and negatives of each school.
Follow your dreams. I'm not going to be cliche and say don't follow your best friends, boyfriend, or girlfriend to school. If that's your dream, do it. And if someone tells you that you're just "following" someone, own up to it and let them know that it's your dream, and not theirs. However, if you are in a relationship or don't want to leave your best friends, don't let them force you into making a decision to be with them if it isn't what you want, and don't settle for that. You have to do what is best for you, which ultimately is following your own dream. You don't want to look back when you're in college and wish you would've done things differently when it may be too late to change things.
Visit the campuses of schools you're considering. If you're stuck between two schools, the campus can make or break the decision in itself. Like I mentioned earlier, you're going to be spending a lot of time on campus, so it's important to love it. Each school has its own feel and its own look, so actually taking a visit can help you figure out what feels best for you.
Don't search for that stupid "home" feeling everyone talks about getting when they look at schools. It isn't realistic. Sure, some people get the feeling and it's real for them, but I've come to realize that a lot of people don't get that feeling, so don't let that stress you out. I remember when I was looking at schools, so many people would say that the school they would be attending felt like home, and I started overthinking and wondering why I never got that feeling. If you never got the feeling, chances are that you're just someone who can make a home out of many different places and what they have to offer, and as a result, everything feels the same for the most part. If you get the feeling, great, but if not, don't worry about it.
Make sure you look at the costs. You may not have to worry too much about how much it will cost financially to go somewhere, and if you don't, be thankful for that. You may be applying for every scholarship possible and may just be trying to figure out which school will be the cheapest to attend. Whichever person you are, you still need to look at the costs, because you will be spending much more than you think you will be either way. Look into what type of things you want to be involved in, the dorm you want to live in, and the costs of traveling to and from home, because it will all add up.
Go somewhere where you can visualize yourself growing. If you're aware of all the things a school has to offer and you're constantly imagining yourself at the school in the future doing things individually or through clubs, it's a good sign. If you envision nothing but a blank slate or confusion when you think about a school, you should probably either learn more about it or start thinking about why you aren't seeing yourself there.
Ultimately, make the decision for you. Want to stay home for college and not go off anywhere? Do it; you're probably not paying rent, or at least not paying near as much as you would be. You may fear judgment from your classmates, but trust me, no one will care when everyone's at their school or remember it as a bad thing. Want to go across the country? Do it, and let the thought of a truly new beginning inspire you. Follow your dream, as long as it's realistic, and don't let anyone stop you. Don't be scared of criticism or judgment. Would you rather have ignored the few rough comments from your peers, or looked back during college and wish you wouldn't have listened to them? The decision is yours to make, and it begins and ends with you.
