Knowing every individual you pass or drive by, knowing the side streets to get to your destination faster, knowing where to go for the best food, all occur in the setting of one’s home town.
Many question and wonder, why leave to go to a brand new place where I do not know anyone, I do not know the good restaurants, and I do not know where I am going. Those thoughts occur in college. Every college is different, however. For each person leaving that comfort of your home town and venturing off to a new place seems crazy, except for the fact that unknowingly, the years in college are the best years of your life.
Lifelong friendships (real friends)
While in your hometown you do have amazing and potential lifelong friendships, it's limited in terms of whom you can meet and whom you chose to befriend. At college, there are thousands of new people to meet that may end up being the ideal friend that will stand by you in your wedding or fiftieth birthday. The options change and suddenly you do not have to tolerate anyone you do not want to tolerate. You can choose to not see them after the semester whereas in a small town that is unavoidable.
Independence
This is the only time in your life where you are completely free to go out as late as you want, eat what you want, study for as long or as little as you would like. This is a time where your parents are not around, your teachers do not care what you do, and you have no commitments to anyone but yourself. Enjoy it!
Form new opinions
What a lot of people realize after attending college is that it often is a microcosm for the world. In one’s home town, many people are of similar religion, beliefs, or backgrounds. At college, it's extremely diverse and you can get an idea of the world as a whole and how people of different backgrounds act and live.
Access to a lot of free resources
Everyone knows that college comes with a large price tag; nonetheless, at college, there are a myriad of free resources that students can take advantage of that are, after graduation, never free. Students have access to scholarly articles for free, that while may not be too fun, do come with a price tag. There are also lectures and concerts that are heavily discounted or open for students. As a student you have the ability to connect with very intelligent professors to offer advice and provide connections, as well as, the alumni that help provide graduating students with a successful employment opportunity.
So when you venture off to school and are nervous or you just have a bad day, remember that these years at college are the best years of your life and should never be taken for granted because they do fly by.
