<p>How does going to a college far away from home affect students? I'm thinking about applying to Stanford, but I live all the way on the east coast in North Carolina.</p>
<p>Does anyone from the east coast or anyone that went a long distance have any advice? Did you enjoy moving so far? Did it take a long time to adjust? And are there any outstanding financial concerns other than coming back home for the holidays?</p>
<p>I didn’t go that far, but I went from the South to New England.</p>
<p>It was neat to get to live in a different area of the country. I didn’t find the adjustment to college itself and living away from home too hard, probably not significantly harder than if I’d been somewhere closer. I found the climate and different social conventions (e.g. drivers honking every time they are irritated, rather than only if something really bad is imminent) to be the most difficult aspects to get used to. The cost of living is more expensive up here, but depending on where one is moving from and to, it can go the other way (for you, living in the Bay Area will be more expensive than living in North Carolina).</p>
<p>Geographical distance is not necessarily a big deal. I went from Iowa to Pennsylvania for college, and then from Iowa to upstate New York for grad school. My mother’s extended family was all in the PA/MD region so I did have places to go on college breaks, and I took my other “orphaned midwesterner” friends along with me. I also made friends with students whose families lived nearer to my college, and they took me home for weekends/fall vacation/etc. If you are a friendly well-behaved houseguest, people will invite you back.</p>
<p>jessiehl has makes an important point about “different social conventions”. It took me the better part of my freshman year to adapt to the new college culture. Some of that was being on the East Coast, and some of it was just getting used to college itself. It doesn’t hurt to do some reading about culture shock (my favorite book is “The Art of Crossing Cultures” by Craig Storti) in general, and to consider what it will mean for you to move out of your home community and into a new one.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t trade my undergraduate experience for anything, challenging as it was. Change can be good.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>
<p>I think it really depends. If you have family in the area, the transition is usually much easier.</p>
<p>If you’re far away and not close to ANYONE you know, it can be difficult adjusting. </p>
<p>It also depends on the person. Some people have a harder time than others.</p>
<p>I think the level of personal growth that you will achieve by going away far surpasses any reason to stay close to home. I think people who stay close miss out on the experience of learning a new city, fending for themselves like finding a dry cleaner and pharmacists, and achieving total independence.</p>