When I tell people I go to Princeton and I’m from Princeton often people say, “Why? That sounds awful. Didn’t you want to go away for college?” In fact, it isn't awful: going to college close to home was the best decision I could’ve made.

When I started applying to colleges, most of them were at least a four hour drive from home; I always thought I’d find myself in Boston or Virginia or DC. However, when I got into Princeton, I found myself attached to the idea of going to college close to home. Although a lot of people love the idea of going away from home for college, being close to home couldn’t have been any better.

You never miss out on family gatherings.

Staying close to home for college means you never have to miss a family event. From weddings to birthday parties, you won’t miss out on anything (which is both a blessing and a curse).

You don’t have to worry about forgetting things at home.

I am super forgetful. I had to go back to campus twice during break because I forgot extremely critical things like my computer charger and my wallet. If I weren’t so close, I probably wouldn’t have half of the things I needed at school.

You don’t have to bring all your clothes at once.

Considering closet space is typically extremely limited at college, it is so nice not having to bring clothes for every season.

If you get sick, you can just go home.

Being sick at college is the worst. Everyone is sick, it’s super germy and gross, and you basically are bound to die or starve to death if you get sick. Being close to home means you can go home and not have to live off crackers you found in your desk drawer. Also, you don't have to switch doctors or go to the medical center on campus.

You know where all the good places to eat are.

Especially if you go to school in a town or a city, you know where every good and reasonable place to eat is. This is self-explanatory, especially considering eating pasta with red sauce and grilled cheese everyday gets pretty mundane.

Home-cooked meals are even better once you leave home.

Another way to get a break from eating dining hall food or Pringles for dinner is to go home for a home-cooked meal. It is amazing to be able to go home once in a while and eat a good meal for a change.

Your parents can always bring you snacks.

Your parents can bring you snacks or meals whenever you want. I can't even begin to count the amount of times my mom has brought me chips or iced tea for my dorm. Not only this, but I have yet to buy toothpaste or shampoo.

Whenever your friends come home, you’re there.

This is honestly the best part about being close to home. Whenever your friends are on break or come home for the weekend you get to see them. It's sometimes hard to even go a weekend without friends visiting you.

You get to see your family (and your pets) whenever you want.

You never have to miss your parents because they will most likely be visiting you more than you would like. Also, getting to see your dog whenever you want is literally a blessing. However, the flip side of this is that you never really get homesick because home is just a short drive away.