Choosing a college is a very difficult decision that you have to make your senior year of high school, and I feel that I made the exact right choice.

I applied to multiple colleges, and most were far away and out of state.

I am very glad I decided not to leave Oregon though because I don't think I could start an entirely new school, and be far away from my family at the same time. I really enjoy that I am a quick two-hour drive away from my home because if I have a bad week at school, I can just drive home to see my family. I could not imagine not having this option.

I feel like it is important for seniors who are picking their schools to know that college is hard, and you will get homesick, but being close to home makes it a little bit easier.

Also, there is nothing wrong with choosing a college that is close to home, because college is still a new experience and you will meet tons of new people. When coming to the University of Oregon I didn't fully realize that I would meet so many new friends, because I thought I would know a lot of people who went here. It is nice to meet new people, but at the same time have the friendly faces of people from your hometown around you.

With all this being said college has made me realize that I am now ready to grow and move away from my home state but I needed the last three years to fully be prepared.

Not everyone feels the same way about going to a college in-state, but I am glad I made that decision because I don't think I would have been as happy at any other school.