One of the biggest questions we face as teenagers/young adults is where we plan on living after we finish school. There's only two options; option a) your hometown or option b) the place of your so you'd think it would easy to choose right? Wrong.
Choose option A and your choosing the same surroundings you've know since you were born. The same streets you learned to drive on, same restaurants you and your friends go to after football and basketball games. Choosing option B means a completely new setting. New everything; neighbors, routes around town, people.
Personally I'm an option B kind of girl. I've never seen myself living in the same town my whole life. Not that I don't love where I come from, I do. I just know that in order for me to achieve what I want, I have to look beyond these Kansas borders.
So this is for the people who are in the same situation. I used to think deciding on this was still years away because that's what it felt like. Just last year I was taking my first ACT and now I'm finding out I only have one more chance to take it before majority of my college applications are due.
Scary, really scary to be honest.
So when it comes to choosing colleges it would make sense if most of us are at a crossroads of choosing to stay in state or go out of state. For some the choice is easy, financially speaking in-state is the better option. However out of state schools may offer different programs and higher degrees then what your in state schools may offer. So if you find that there is a college a few states away offering a masters program for what you plan on studying but no colleges in your home state are offering it, why not choose the school offering a masters? I know getting a masters is not everyone, it's just an example.
Don't think that I'm bashing on hometowns, I love my hometown. I don't think I can live the rest of life in a small Kansas town though. Growing up I thought living here was actually pretty cool. I lived in middle of the United States; an hour away from the geographical center of the 48 states. About the time I turned fourteen is when I realized I didn't see I future here. I saw it somewhere else. I wasn't attracted to the small town life where the night life doesn't last passed 11:31 P.M. on the weekend. I was attracted to the cities where the nights are lit up by the buildings and where the night life doesn't seem to have a end.
I will forever be thankful for my hometown. For all the lessons learned and the ones I still need to learn, no matter where I go it will always be home.
