Going to college out of state is a daunting experience. Sometimes, there are some things that you deal with that other people just don't have to. It doesn't matter if your home is an hour or three hours away, no matter what the situation is, I hope you can relate! Enjoy!

1) People always ask you, "why didn't you go to [insert college here?"

Because I didn't want to? I mean, for me, coming to college was so much more than just "I like this place." For me, it was a matter of "where would I fit in the best?" For me, it just happened to be out of state

2) You always hear comments on your accent.

It never fails, especially being from South Louisiana like me. I will sometimes pronounce "New Orleans" as "New Ohlinz" and people loooove to comment on that.

3) Your friends say places in the state where you go and you have no idea where they are at.

Hello Google Maps? Sometimes, my friends will talk about places in other parts of the state, and I don't have a clue where they are at. Google has become an easy way to make a quick recovery without making things awkward.

4) Homesickness is a very real thing.

No matter how much your family on campus makes college feel like home, there are sometimes when I know that I need to go home just to be comfortable. And it's not just the home atmosphere, I know that I want my friends from home too.

5) FOMO is also another real thing.

When you go out of state for college, it's easy to feel like you are missing out on things that your friends are doing back home. For me, that wasn't as true during my sophomore year, but it was very true during my freshman year. I didn't want to feel like I was "livin' in the past," but knew I needed to do my own thing.

6) Sometimes, you have to live completely different lives, and that can get interesting.

I feel like sometimes, my "home life" is much different from my student life. It's not a bad thing, it just means that there is something that makes YOU unique.

7) You sometimes play along and know where things are

Like when your friends say. "You know where [insert place here] is right?" Yeah, sure! Why not? I'll just play along and see what happens. Plus, most of the time in that kind of situation, you don't want to look all uncool, so why would you try?

8) Saying where you are from usually involves being around some big city

My hometown is by New Orleans. Most of the time, it is so much easier to say "I'm from New Orleans" than trying to say that Slidell is "about forty miles away."

9) Bringing friends from college home to see the best parts of your home state is one of the coolest things ever.

Showing my friends the touristy things to do never fails to excite me. Every time that it has happened, I couldn't wait to do it again.

10) You wouldn't have it any other way.

Yeah, being an out of state student can have its drawbacks. However, at the end of the day, you know you would not have it any other way. Leaving home and coming off to college was a scary and exhilarating experience, but your home will always be home, no matter where you go.