Transitioning from high school to college is a different experience for everyone. Some people want to get as far away from home as possible, choosing a college that is nowhere close to their roots. They want adventure, or they want to escape. Others choose a college that is closer to home, wanting to stay near for whatever reason.
A few things crossed my mind when I was looking at colleges. First, I wanted a school that had a good education program. Second, I wanted some place that was close to home. At the time, I had a boyfriend I was going to be leaving behind and a family I was extremely close with. It would have been extremely difficult to leave either one for extended periods of time (I have issues with change), so I chose the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, just 45 minutes away.
Although I absolutely love the school I attend, with two years under my belt, I now realize how going to school so close to home has affected me both positively and negatively.
Positive: Help is only a phone call away.
Everyone goes through hard times, and my first two years of college might have been some of my hardest. Sometimes, you just need your mom. Whether you’re physically sick or just mentally exhausted, home isn’t far, and neither is a home cooked meal. It’s nice to take a break from the stresses of college and get treated like you are still in high school...until you’re tired of being treated like you’re in high school, in which case you head back to college to pursue your independent life.
Negative: Independence can be hard to achieve.
College is about going out on your own and experiencing the world for yourself. It’s hard to pursue an independent life when it is so easy to fall back into old routines when Mom and Dad would take care of you and solve your problems. It can feel like you aren’t progressing or maturing, and it can also be difficult to convince your parents that you are capable of doing things on your own.
Positive: You know a lot of people.
For some, college can be a complete uprooting. They go in knowing no one, which can be scary to some. When you go to school close to home, there are usually a lot more people that you know from high school who attend that school, too. It isn’t so hard to adjust when you have some sense of normalcy with the people you hung out with in high school, or even a familiar face to say hi to on your walk to class.
Negative: You know a lot of people…
It’s easy to stay where you are comfortable, and begin to fall back into old cliques. Maybe for some that’s a good thing, but for others who want to meet new people, it can be hard to find a balance between ditching your old clan and finding a new one. You don’t want to offend your old friends by saying that you want to make new ones, but you have to remind yourself that college is a new experience, and along with that comes meeting new people. It’s also hard to start fresh when there are so many people to remind you of your past.
Positive: It is easy to make it back for events.
Homecoming, birthdays, Mother’s Day, sibling sporting events and everything in between don’t stop just because you’re attending college. It’s easy to make it back for them without missing tons of classes when you have such a short drive. You feel like an awesome child/sibling/significant other because you can still support the people you left behind, and it makes you feel like you are still a part of that life.
Negative: It is easy to find excuses to go home.
When it’s easy to go home, you tend to find excuses to go home a lot. One week, you forgot a sweater that you love and can’t go another week without, and the next, you are really missing your significant other or your little brother. It may seem like just another weekend, but some of the best times can be missed out on in just those three days. Think of the late-night pizza with your roommates that you didn’t get to enjoy, or the day exploring town that you missed out on. Some of the best days to be had could be missed because you were falling into old routines.
Although going to college close to home has its ups and downs, if it is a college that you truly want to attend, you shouldn’t feel bad about it. Just because you didn’t go far geographically, it doesn’t mean that you won’t go far in life. Remember to try new things and find a balance between your new life and your old life. You will live and you will learn, and more importantly, you will have a lot of fun.
