I went away for college. I went three and a half hours away for college. I’m currently in my second semester of my fourth year in college, three and a half hours away from my hometown. I loved every second of every day in this town. This place had some sort of magic and I still don’t know where it came from. I think it was the potential this place had for me. I was in a new town where no one knew me. I could be whoever I wanted to be; I could find a boy here. There was a whole new pool of people that I could make friends with. I was also on my own for the first time in my life. I would not see my family for weeks, even months, at a time. This was entirely new to me.

I made great friends with my roommates my freshman year. I mean, we definitely had our fair share of drama, but we were all best friends in our own way. In fact, I was the maid of honor in one of my roommate’s weddings. Another roommate and I did all kinds of fun and crazy things together.

My first day of college, I met one of my current roommates (and best friends) in our college algebra class. I sat down next to him and after a minute he leaned over to me and asked me if I had been eating Fritos because he smelled Fritos. I had not been eating Fritos, but that question led to an amazing friendship. He was my first friend other than my roommates in this big town where I didn’t know anyone.

I also met a boy during my first week of college. We texted and flirted for a few weeks until he finally asked me out on a date. We went on two dates before deciding it wasn't going to work, but it was okay because I was having new experiences!
Within a few weeks, I became friends with a girl that two of classes with me. I went to pep rallies and basketball games and other school events with her. Eventually, she started coming over to my apartment and hanging out with my roommates and me. She became great friends with one of my roommates and the three of us starting hanging out all the time. Soon, my new friend may as well have been our fifth roommate: she stayed with us all the time! Just like that, I had so many new friends. It was awesome and I was loving every second of this life I had found.

However, after our first year, two of my roommates decided not to come back to school and went back to their hometowns. Then, in the middle of our second year, a third of my friends left to go back to their hometown. It was down to just three of us. I went from having a huge pool of friends in this town to just a select few. It definitely changed things, but I was thankful to still have them around.

My job helped to fill up some of my time and helped me to make more friends. I really enjoy talking to my coworkers and the regulars that we get at our restaurant.

Basically, I 9/10 recommend going away for college because it is an amazing experience and there isn’t anything else like it! You experience a freedom that you never had before.