All throughout high school, I thought I was going to go to college somewhere new and exotic, hundreds of miles away. When it came time to start applying, though, I was hesitant to apply anywhere that wasn't in my state. I couldn't bring myself to leave my friends, family and everything I knew, so I decided to stay. I'm not a homebody by any means, but I decided to go to a school in the city 30 minutes away, and I couldn't be happier with my decision. People sometimes wonder why I stayed so close to home, and how I can possibly get the most out of my college experience when I'm not far at all. Here's what I tell them:
Yes, I have all the freedoms of being on my own.
Just because my parents could check up on me every weekend, doesn't mean they do. I'm free to make my own decisions and go where I want, when I want, just as if I were three states away.
I still have the comforts of home, however.
Even though I have my own freedoms, my family is just a few towns away when I need them. If I'm feeling down or lonely, I can always go home for a weekend (or even just a night). Even better, if I'm getting sick of dining hall food, I can just have my parents take me out for a quick dinner. Not to mention I'll never have to miss a sibling's dance recital or big game.
Most of my friends are around the corner.
Transitioning into college, where everyone is a virtual stranger, wasn't as difficult for me as it was for most people. A good amount of my friends also stayed close to home, so while everyone else was struggling to find a good niche of people, I was hanging out with people I know and love.
It's easier to network.
Going to school in the area I live in makes it easier to get jobs and internships, since that's where all of my professors' connections are. Plus, during the summer I can get a local gig instead of scrambling to find something near me or having to travel too far away.
I'm not knocking the far-from-home college experience, but I'm not ashamed that I stayed so near home. Though people may look at me funny and wonder why I'd ever go to school so close, I know that it was a great decision.
