If you are a junior or senior in high school, I’m sure you have definitely been bombarded by your extended family members, friends, teachers, coaches, parent’s friends, the cashier at your local grocery store, the mail man, and maybe even the garbage man about your upcoming college decision. I felt extremely overwhelmed by just the thought of college and tried to shut down all of these conversations as soon as they came my way.
At first, I was very uninterested in sitting down and looking at my options. All I knew was that I wanted to leave. I wanted to get away from Colorado and experience something new. Growing up, my life was comfortable. My family has moved once in my lifetime and our new house was only about two miles away from our old house. I still attended the same public school and had the same friends. Nothing really changed except the size of our backyard. So when the college decision came my way, I knew it was time for me to leave all that was familiar and jump into the unknown.
I applied to twelve schools. Yes. Some may think this a little too much, and looking back, it was a lot of work. Ten plane tickets, two road trips, eight interviews, too many supplements to count (shout out to Wake Forest University’s thirteen supplemental application questions that almost made me want to kill myself), two ACT tests, and one Common App essay. It was no walk in the park, and at times was incredibly emotionally draining. I thought to myself, wouldn’t it have been easier if I just applied to any of the Colorado state universities? My grades and ACT were above the average. The applications were much simpler. I could’ve spent more time hanging out with my friends and family instead of stressing out about making the Nov. 1 deadline.
Tonight, I am sitting in my dorm room, writing to you from Texas Christian University. If you asked me two years ago if I thought I would end up in Texas, I would have probably said hell no. Daily, I am reminded of how thankful I am that I took the leap to apply to an out of state school.
Life in Texas is different from life at home. The weather is much hotter. Humidity actually exists. People say y’all. People are more willing to hold the door open for you. And there are too many Tex-Mex places to choose from. I love my life down at TCU, but being in a different state has made me so much more appreciative for my hometown.
There are days I yearn for a glimpse of the Rocky Mountains or a crisp fall afternoon. I miss weekend ski trip in the winter and adventurous spring and fall hikes. I miss being able to watch the Broncos games and spontaneous trips to Downtown Denver. Because I decided to jump out of my comfort zone and attend school in a different state, I have learned how to start from scratch. I know how to make friends, how to appreciate a different culture and yet still stay tied to my hometown roots. It has been an extremely huge learning experience, but I can say that it has made me a much more well-rounded person. I believe that if you have the chance to apply to an out of state school, you should go for it!
