Going to college is a huge life change. It鈥檚 the first time in your life that you鈥檒l be independent. Your late-night musings of 鈥淗ow to pick the right college for me? Should I go to a college close to home or far away?鈥� are truly multifaceted questions.
First off, know that you鈥檙e not alone. All high school students applying to college face the same dilemma. And truth be told, there is no one answer.
The right answer for you might be the wrong answer for someone else. The best answer considers your personality, priorities, finances, and the college experience you鈥檙e hoping to achieve. Before you make this life-altering decision, it鈥檚 important to have all of the facts.
Below, we鈥檒l unpack the pros and cons of college far from home, how this may affect you, and how to make an informed decision.
What does 鈥渃lose to home鈥� or 鈥渇ar away鈥� mean?
If you鈥檙e looking for a simple answer to, 鈥淪hould I go to a college close to home or far away?鈥�, you鈥檙e in for disappointment; no such universal answer exists.
But we can break down the question practically. Let鈥檚 talk mileage and how that translates to time on the road and accessibility of home. Try to look beyond the mileage number and consider the cost of transport, whether that鈥檚 gas in your car, a public transit pass, or just time spent to-ing and fro-ing.
Distance and time traveling can be significantly more straining if you鈥檝e got a full load of college courses on your plate. If you鈥檙e considering living at home and commuting to college, make sure it鈥檚 not too far since having in the classroom.
If you鈥檙e not planning to live at home, but still want to stay relatively close by, think about how often you might want to go home and how realistic that might be depending on the school you鈥檙e considering. Distance can be a good thing, particularly for influencing how quickly you become comfortable being independent.
Neither experience is better or worse; it really depends on what you want and how you鈥檒l thrive. Have you thought about what it might feel like to be staying home for college? What might it feel like to be farther from the familiar?
What staying close to home can look like for you
For some people, staying home for college can be the absolute best decision. Having family within easy traveling distance can help keep you grounded. Being close means you can see your family and friends regularly, which can help you stay focused on your studies.
Benefits of staying close to home
Depending on your family dynamics, being close to family can be helpful during the move from high school to college. It鈥檚 a huge life event and a major change to your daily and weekly experience. Having easy access to your safe people can be a relief, even if you don鈥檛 call on them often. Your friends and family, part-time jobs, or career connections are all at your fingertips.
Traveling for the holidays also becomes so much easier because it鈥檚 all right there. You don鈥檛 have to deal with the hassle of busy airports or buses during the holiday season.
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Challenges of staying close to home
Being close to home can also make it harder to adjust to college life and independence from your parents. If you have the option to go home on the weekend, you may be less likely to get involved in campus events and may miss out on opportunities to make new friends and build new meaningful connections.
Going to college close to home doesn鈥檛 prevent your independence, but it may make it less appealing and/or necessary. We鈥檙e drawn to the familiar because it鈥檚 safe, but pushing yourself to make new connections is a powerful life skill that will take you far in life.
What going away for college can look like for you
For those still worried about, 鈥淗ow to pick the right college for me?鈥�, let鈥檚 look at the other side of the coin. Going to college far from home means you鈥檙e starting new, which can be exciting, but also scary.
Benefits of going far from home
One of the biggest benefits of going to a college that is farther from your family home is independence. You鈥檙e in a new environment without people who know you, which means you鈥檙e far more likely to seek new friendships and community within your college environment.
You鈥檒l be forced to problem-solve on your own, which is actually a good thing. Living somewhere unfamiliar gives you a chance to explore, experience new culture, community, and perspectives different from your hometown.
Challenges of going far from home
Homesickness is real, and many new college students experience it. Just because you鈥檙e excited to move from home and explore a new environment doesn鈥檛 mean you won鈥檛 feel the loss of nearby family, friends, and familiar places.
Plus, there鈥檚 the added challenge of getting to and from your hometown during the holidays and breaks. Travel costs can add up quickly. You might have to decide which events you鈥檒l attend and which you won鈥檛 be able to.
Having more space between you and family can be particularly challenging during unexpected events that require your presence. Getting home quickly may not be an option. These are simply factors to consider when deciding where you want to go to college.
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At the end of the day, the pros and cons of college far from home will be different for everyone. For those still worried and wondering, 鈥淗ow to pick the right college for me?鈥�, take a moment to appreciate that you鈥檙e already taking the steps you need to succeed.
Next, you鈥檒l probably want to continue your research by reading up on what different experiences look like, speaking to a guidance counselor, and making a decision from there.
The goal is not to find the perfect fit for everyone; it鈥檚 to find the right fit for you. Maybe that means staying home for college, or maybe that means branching off on your own and starting anew. Either way, 91吃瓜网 is here to support your decisions and help you every step of the way.
Build your future today with a loving environment and supportive faculty who are here to help. Ready to take the next step? Learn more or apply today.