I'm one of many college students who made the decision to go to college in my hometown. And I go home...a lot. When most students first apply to college, there are so many deciding factors that run through their minds. As a college freshman, the memory of feeling pressured to choose my home for the next four years is VERY vivid. I think I might have made it a little hard on myself too. One of the main reasons for this was because I was probably misinformed about how the college application process worked. I probably was applying to places with the wrong intentions in mind, and definitely didn't consider my feelings much when choosing possible schools. For me, it was more about what I would be able to achieve at the school and not what I could contribute to the school and the community. With that mindset, I applied to eight different universities and in the process, I probably devoted too much energy and spread myself too thin. I was warned about that happening, but I'm such a stubborn Pisces that I just had to find out for myself. I did, however, learn some very important life lessons about making such big decisions.

Part of that, I attribute to not having anyone in my family who went through the process themselves. My parents both finished their undergraduate and graduate studies in India and only came to the United States for the continued higher education and career advancement opportunities. The whole American dream and whatnot. Because of that, I didn't really have any personal experience seeing someone else go through making such a huge life decision, unlike many of my friends who seemed more sure about their future endeavors.

Sure, I had several mentors and teachers who were guiding me and giving me advice. One of my favorite internship mentors reminded me that college isn't just about being shuffled into an information machine and coming out with a set career plan, but that it's about growing up as an individual. It's a learning process. She drilled into my brain that college is not just about GPA and classes and applications, but it's about doing things you love and being open to learning about everything. I like to consider college as discovering little parts of my self that I was never aware could exist.

But when you're in a high school state of mind and it seems like the world is going to end if you don't go to what you think is the "right" college, you're essentially seeing everything through a fisheye lens. Your perspective is warped, as is expected, but that slightly affects your decision making. In most cases, that means you might turn to external sources for more guidance instead of listening to yourself think and reasoning through your thoughts. One of the external sources I used was Google.

Ah, good old trusty Google. What a queen. When I googled "how to choose a college" in the peak of the college application and decision season, the latter of which is actually just around the corner, I always saw the same generic answers on each website I clicked on. "Pick based on what programs are offered, look into the extracurriculars, think about the weather, go with your gut" and so on. It was a repetitive list. And to my overanalyzing 18-year-old brain (technically, I'm still 18), these suggestions were not helpful at all. The unfortunate part is that I was also hearing those suggestions from my beloved mentors.

I honestly didn't understand why the weather was an important factor to be considered. Who cares if it's always rainy in Seattle? It's not like I'll be outside at any single moment- I'll probably lock myself in the library and never leave because I'm such a diligent, bookworm-esque student. I was dead wrong about that. The weather of your college town can drastically impact your mood. Think about it- if it's rainy all the time and you're constantly having to stay indoors, you could potentially induce a permanent state of cabin fever. The second factor that I didn't think was super important is location. Where is your college in relation to where you currently live? For me, I go to the University of Georgia and I'm a Dawg. I also have lived in the beautiful town of Athens for 16 years of my life.

Even before I started applying to college, I absolutely dreaded the possibility of having to go to college in the same town where I lived. That's four more years in the same town. Before I came to my senses, that seemed ridiculous and torturous. I put all of my college applying energy into going to a college far far away from home. As an only child, I can only describe it as wanting to rocket launch myself out of the nest, at turbo speed. But I was definitely kidding myself.

When it came down to my final decision, I was between two schools: Georgia Tech and UGA. Yup. I almost became a Yellow Jacket (or are they bees?). Actually, I was temporarily a Techie. I received my UGA acceptance letter in November of 2017 and my Tech acceptance letter on January 13, 2018. When I got the UGA fireworks, I was super ecstatic, but I didn't immediately scream Go Dawgs! and whip out my dad's credit card to buy red and black apparel. Instead, I waited till Tech came out and put down my commitment deposit within two weeks. Little did I know what was coming. In the months after I had announced to all my friends that I was going to explore the grand city of ATL, I began preparing to choose a dorm and started generating a list of extracurricular activities I would get involved in. I even visited Tech and went through a whole fiasco where my car broke down on campus and I couldn't get any help.

Yup, look at those fireworks!Instagram

And look at those bees!Instagram.

After all that, my mom threw a very life changing question my way: "I know you want to get away from Athens, but why not UGA?" Here's why she did that to me. I'm a pre-med intended Biochemistry & Molecular Biology major at UGA, but I was an intended Biology major at Tech. I think because my mom was so familiar with how the science departments work at UGA, she knew that maybe I would find more opportunities to explore science if I stayed home. Not that there aren't endless opportunities at Tech, but I was already familiar with how things worked here.

I spent a week flipping my brain upside down, asking older students who graduated before me and pestering my mentors about what to do. Now, just FYI- this "week" was right before Decision Day, which is collectively known to be on May 1. I was told to stop worrying and that wherever I went would be the best place for me. And that couldn't be truer. On the day before May 1, I withdrew my commitment to GT and chose the home of the Dawgs. I'll be honest- I would not have imagined in a million years that I would go here, but I'm sure glad I do. I think I had chosen Tech initially because many of my own friends had chosen it and I assumed that it would also be a perfect fit for me.

My mom was right though- why wasn't I seeing the pot of gold right in front of me? Just because I grew up with the college practically in my backyard didn't make it any less special- in fact, it made it even more special. I know I grew up running around the halls of the Hugh Hodgson music school, playing squeaky violin recitals in Edge Hall and singing my heart out in Hodgson Hall. I know I spent years following my parents as they did their fancy chemist work in the Chemistry department (they still have the same vending machine from 2005). That makes it all the more memorable.

Looking back, I know I made the right decision. I sometimes think about it like this. The town of Athens raised me and gave me so many opportunities as a young brown girl, that I almost owe it to my community to learn from the best here and give back. If you're between schools, know this. Your first initial decision may not be the perfect one, but you will figure it out. And if UGA is one of those choices, I think you know which to pick after reading my story. There is a vast world waiting for you to explore at Dawg nation, regardless of your sports interests or favorite colors. Those are just perks. I guarantee you will find your place here. I'm only in my first year, but I'm beyond excited for what awaits.

Take a breath, and honestly- go with your gut. It's a cheesy tip, but it works out.