I was accepted into ASU early, and I am BEYOND excited about it. I love the campus, and when I was in Arizona (granted, I was with my family the whole time on a vacation), I just loved the atmosphere. I’m from Connecticut, so it is a long way from home.
I’m just wondering what some challenges that I might face will be? I know that getting home is expensive, and the homesickness will be rough, but is it worth it (for those of you that attend far from home)?
What are some ways to deal with being far?
I don’t know anybody going there either, so is there any way (website, etc.) that I could meet people going and maybe make some friends prematurely so I’m not totally alone when I arrive?
I have not accepted the offer yet, so I’m not technically enrolled. I’m waiting for decision from other schools to make my final decision (I do notttt want to stay in state, but some of my other choices are within reasonable driving distance)
Most schools have Facebook groups for freshman. Check that out. Have you ever been away to like a summer camp away from home before? There will always be students that are in the same situation as you are in. Key is to join clubs /groups and get involved. You can always call and use FaceTime etc when you need to with your family.
Many students will show up at freshmen at ASU and will not know anyone on campus. Even many students from Arizona won’t know anyone else on campus. This means that during your freshman year at university there will be many other students who are in the same situation as you, even if they are not as far from home. I agree with @Knowsstuff that joining clubs will be a good idea. You will also meet people in your dorm.
Way back when I went to college, I lived in PA and went to college in WI. Not quite as far as you, but still a ways! Freshman year, I flew home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, then the summer. Sophomore year, carpooled home (I despise flying) for Christmas, and summer. Did that the rest of the time. A lot of students were far from home, so there were a lot of us there for Thanksgiving. I didn’t miss not going home.
A big benefit now that wasn’t there for me was the ease of using the internet to stay in touch. Back in my day, the internet wasn’t a big thing yet, so I scheduled calls with my parents. Every Sunday at 9am they would call. It was hard at first, and I was homesick. But, meeting new friends who were also far from home helped out with that. Now, you’ve got cell phones, emails, skype… you’ll be good to go!
I “grew up” a lot during my time at college, and loved every bit of it! I would not have had the same college experience if I had been a few hours from home. I would have been going there all the time, instead of immersing myself in the campus. I don’t regret going far away at all!
So many people go to colleges that are far from their homes. My D’s best friend at her college in Maine is from Hawaii. Another good friend is from Morocco. It’s a challenge but it’s clearly doable. You will be fine.
I would also agree with talking to your parents about expectations about getting home. We just had parents’ weekend at my daughter’s school and students who were really far from home were bummed about not seeing their parents. Most schools have a Fall Break, plus parents weekend, before Thanksgiving break so think through that. Most families “adopted” other kids whose parents weren’t able to make the trip but I know it was sad for many of them. Each person is different so think through how that would be for you!
Holiday travel is definitely a question to talk about. My DS is in college far from home and travel is a 6-8 hours with stops and changes of planes. He didn’t come home for Thanksgiving last year. (He had travel home for his grandmother’s funeral less than a month after school started.)
DS didn’t mention it but I was glad I had told him last year that we could discuss how being away for Thanksgiving worked for him. When I brought it up, he admitted that he missed us and had been lonely so I gladly booked him a flight home for this year. It is good to talk about expectations and what the family can manage. Enjoy ASU!
Thanks all for the insightful responses!
I have been away far distances multiple times without my family. For the past 3 summers, I have gone away to Italy to be with my grandmother, so I know what long distances entail. I’m so excited for a new start, but I do have to weigh out all of the possibilities before I enroll.
I do have aunts and uncles and cousins out in AZ, about 30 minutes away from the campus, so I won’t be ALONE for thanksgiving, just away from my dad, brother and friends
My daughter went to school in Florida, and it is a possibility for the parents to go to the sunny and warm place for the holiday too. Depends on the family size and traditions, but I went to my daughter for spring break because she had to stay at school to play her sport. Poor me, having to spend spring break on the beach.