My intention since freshman year of high school was to go to college as far away from home as possible. However, as high school slowly comes to an end for me, I am beginning to question my decision to apply to almost all out of state schools. I know that although it may seem freeing to leave the nest, it will feel terrifying to be completely alone on the other side of the country. If I’m sick, if I have a money issue, or if I have any kind of emergency; I will be stuck in an unfamiliar place with no access to my parents. Even though students and friends will be experiencing similar problems, they can’t offer the same sense of security that your parents can.
One of the biggest parts of college is gaining independence and growing up. And while some may argue that staying close to home will limit independence, I disagree. For most students, moving away is a rude awakening into the realities of life, but if they are not completely ready to shed their parents, staying close to home can help them slowly gain independence at their own pace. The majority of schools I applied to are in California, about as far away as you can get from northern Virginia. However, going to school in California will mean that I won’t get to come home for short breaks or even thanksgiving break. Staying close to home will mean that I can see my parents frequently and meet up with my high school friends whenever they are in town so that we can stay in touch.
Over the summer I did a pre-college program in the Midwest and I quickly realized that food was going to be a problem. The food was adequate, but after a couple of days I ran out of choices and everything started tasting like sand. One option is to eat out often, but that quickly becomes pricey and extremely unhealthy. Going to school close to home makes it possible to come home on some weekends and eat real food.
The most important reason to stay in state or close to home is money. All of the out of state schools that I’m applying to will cost about 60,000 dollars each year. That is a ridiculous amount of money especially for students like me who have siblings also going to college in a couple of years. Paying for tuition is extremely expensive alone, but paying for dorms, meal plans, and laundry adds over 10,000 dollars each semester. According to CNN, the class of 2013 owed $35,200 in student related debts. With this number rising each year, there’s no better reason to attend college close to home than that.