In-state, out-of-state. In or out. Home or adventure. Family and friends, or new people and new surroundings. Excitement or comfort.

This is a constant debate for many a high school senior who is in the process of figuring out where to attend college. It’s also a question asked by students who decide to transfer.

I asked this question twice. First, as a senior who was trying figure out where to take the next step of my life, and again when I transferred at the end of my freshman year. And in both instances, I chose to move away from home to continue my education. Initially I moved fifteen hours (driving) away from my home state of Florida to attend Sweet Briar College in Virginia; then, I chose to go even further away to finish out my undergraduate career in the Bay Area of California which is a seventy-two hour non-stop drive from Florida.

And I don’t regret it. I don’t. But if you are a current senior who is trying to figure out whether it is worth attending an out-of-state institution or to remain local, or a student trying to figure out if transferring away from your current school is the right choice, here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Finance

This is probably the most important factor.

A good starting place is recognizing the cost difference between private institutions and state schools. When I was looking at schools, I considered four factors in this order: major availability (what’s the point in going to a school that doesn’t offer courses or programs that you like?), total cost of attendance, average financial aid given and location. While doing this research, I found out something very important. A private college is expensive regardless if you’re an in-state student or an out-of-state student; additionally, out-of-state public schools cost about the same as private institutions. But the truth is, private colleges are cheaper if you want to go to college out-of-state. Now you might look at the cost of a private college, and go: Uhm, no, that is not cheap!

But the truth is private institutions offer more financial aid, and are more willing to negotiate and work with you. Let’s compare two schools in the Bay area.

University of California, Berkeley and Mills College*

UC Berkeley is a state school. The total cost for an in-state, Californian resident is $30,813. The cost for an out-of-state student is $57,495. The average aid given is $22,288. If you’re an out-state-student then this award doesn’t even cover half of your total cost of attendance.

Mills College is a private, four-year, historically women’s, liberal arts institution. The total cost of Mills College (without insurance because it can be waived) is $59,024. About fifteen hundred more than UC Berkeley. However, the average aid given is $39,586 which is seventeen thousand more than Berkeley.

Both are great schools in a wonderful metropolis. However, the difference in cost cannot be ignored.

When I was looking at out-of-state colleges I decided to apply almost exclusively to private colleges for this reason

2. Travel is an Investment

The cost of travel isn’t cheap. And when I say cheap, I mean both money and time as an investment.

The cost of gas or flights over time can really add up. That alone can sometimes be more than some are able to justify. And storage units for the summers often cost an arm and a leg but can be mitigated by sharing with other travel students.

If you fly, you also have to pay for luggage, which is usually two to three luggage bags, which is really a hit and often puts buying textbooks on the back-burner for a bit. Not to mention the cost of sending your books, fragile glass items, bedding and decorations ahead, or buying an entire new room setup once you get to campus. If you drive, you have to fit yourself, your co-pilot and your world in a car. It’s hard, and it’s emotionally taxing.

But it’s not just the hit to your wallet that can be an issue. When you go to school out-of-state, you may not see your home for a while. When I come to school for the semester I am committing to not seeing my Mom, Dad, my sisters, my brother, my nieces or nephew, or my dogs for at least four months. I am choosing to sleep on a lumpy twin bed for four months, and not drive home every other weekend to sleep in my Queen Size bed. I am choosing to not be able to speak to my best friend when something great or terrible happens. I am choosing this.

It’s not easy.

3. Homesickness

I touched on this a little bit in the previous point, but it is an inevitable problem for all students who study away from home so it deserves its own category.

Living in the Bay is great. And if you are a transient student like myself, I am sure you will fall in love with whichever city or town you decide to go to school at. And the longer you’re in your new environment (especially if you go out of your way to get involved in the community), the more you’ll feel like the place is home.

However, there are certain things you can’t replace.

The Bay Area has Trader Joe’s (TJ’s), Florida has Publix. Publix is the bomb dot com. I love Publix. And when I want a Publix sub, nothing else is an equal replacement. The Bay Area is into hiking, biking, backpacking, food markets, art galleries, etc...the Sunshine state has Disney World (and, no, Anaheim’s Disneyland is no substitute) which is literally the happiest place on Earth, and beaches that don’t make you freeze. California has oranges, Florida has better oranges (and I don’t even actually like oranges).

And this doesn’t even match the feelings of missing having dinner with my family. College food or going to get pho with friends will never match the taste of my Mom’s homemade gumbo or macaroni. Seeing your best friend for only a couple weeks out of the year when you’re used to seeing each other whenever you want is a big adjustment, and requires you both to be willing to put in more work to contact each other as well as understand that sometimes your schedules don’t allow for a high level of communication.

So you might be asking yourself after reading this, why bother to go to college out of state? It’s expensive and you miss your home! Well, here are some of the reasons to make the commitment!.

1. It teaches you to be self sufficient.

If you’re like me, and you’ve never had the opportunity to be allowed to fail without the safety net of your family, then moving 3500 miles away forces you to take control of your life. This inevitably leads to number 2…

2. Independence.

I think of my life in two categories: my life, and my life at home with my family. My life is filled with work, classes, going to get coffee, checking my bank account, doing my own laundry, cleaning my room every night, going on last minute trips to the beach, going to bars when I want to, eating what I want when I want, meeting dates and enjoying the perks of adulthood. My life with my family is me going to a part-time job, cleaning my room once, having my Mom (nostalgically) do my laundry and make me dinner, not going on dates, and calling to check-in when I go out. Independence is a fickle thing because it requires you to be on top of the mundane so you can reward yourself with the fun. And moving to a whole new city, away from your family, truly pushes this mindset so you can better grow into yourself.

3. New Experiences.

I never had pho before moving to the Bay. And it is basically my favorite thing to go out and eat now. But if I had stayed in Florida and gone to the University of Southern Florida or Miami, I may have never tried Vietnamese food. And this is just a small example. But the truth is, living in a brand new environment forces you to step outside of your comfort zone. And that’s a good thing. We grow as people when we try new things.

4. Diversity.

The Bay Area is an incredibly diverse place on this Earth. And being able to peek into so many different cultures allows us to better appreciate the diversity America has to offer.

5. And most importantly, it makes you miss home.

I spend eight to ten months every year away from home, so those two-to-four months that I am home feel like a long awaited honor. It is an amazing feeling to go home.

*All numbers found online at collegexpress.com