After a long summer of surfing, swimming and chilling, its finally time to head to school for a long nine months of academia. All of senior year was preoccupied with tediously applying for colleges, experiencing the triumph of being accepted, the tears of rejection, and the stress of choosing. Now, you’re enrolled and its too late to turn back as you begin packing your suitcases to experience the unknown. Leaving your hometown hangouts to be a college freshman isn’t exactly easy, however as the great Kurt Vonnegut once said, “its always time to go;” so why not go away for college?

After spending 18 years in the same town, a change of scenery of scenery could be extremely useful to expand your horizons. Once leaving the city you know like the back of your hand, its definitely going to be an interesting experience moving to an area in the country you haven’t experienced before. Simply moving to different region can open your eyes to a completely new world that isn’t terribly far from home. and allow you to discover more about yourself. On the other hand, if you live in a state like California and have always dreamed of living on the East Coast in your adulthood, go to school there! Attending college in your dream locale is a great way to make connections and get job opportunities so you can stay there after graduation.

Who's saying you have to stay in the US? There’s a whole world out there to be explored and there are options to attend American colleges in almost every continent (sorry Antartica) as full time students or studying abroad. Semesters abroad with your school are a smart way to travel while spending the same tuition as you would be on your school’s normal campus. However, if you’re feeling very adventurous and have the budget for it, programs like Semester at Sea are a great way to travel all around the world in one semester’s time. The SAS program is a great way to build a close bond with other students from all around the world as you make lifelong memories traveling everywhere from the high seas of the Atlantic to the high deserts of Morocco.

Leaving for college is also a great way to start fresh and enjoy being away from your hometown stress. Relocating to a different setting with all new people allows complete relief from everything that preoccupied you in high school in exchange for picking up hobbies you’ve never considered before while meeting tons of new people. This community that you create will soon become a home away from home that will make you eager to return back to campus after winter break.

If you have the opportunity, studying at a school away from home is an amazing opportunity to finally get out in the world for college. After four years of high school, it's a nice change to escape the routine of your teenage days and get ready for being a young adult on your own.