<p>Did you feel thatany of your sons who went OOS for college, were not ready? How did their 1st. semester go?</p>
<p>my parents are a little worried about me going OOS right out of hs.</p>
<p>Wabash:</p>
<p>Does it have to be sons? I went to college at 17. Different country, different higher education system, different culture, different language. Was I ready? Probably not. But I managed. So will you.</p>
<p>opps! no, of course not. other replies welcome..</p>
<p>I went far out of state for college, and while it was a little scary at first, I made friends quickly. The same is true for most people. If this is something that you are worried about, ask students at that college how it went. Support systems, number of OOS students, orientation programs, etc. vary widely from place to place, and can make a big difference in how quickly you can get settled.</p>
<p>Both of my sons went out of state to college, and it has worked out great for them. My younger son is a freshman this year, and while he says he misses home more than he expected to, he is still thriving in this new environment.</p>
<p>When I left to go out of state to college--eons ago--several people told my parents it was a mistake, because I was quite shy and they were sure I would be miserable. I was homesick the first quarter, but adjusted, and it was the best decision for me, as I matured so much there.</p>
<p>What about LOANS???--my parents are blackmailing me "sure, go OOS but you will have to takeout loans"</p>
<p>Well, that isn't necessarily blackmail, it might simply be financial reality. If they have a set amount of money that they are willing to pay, they should be very clear with you what it is. That will enable you to fully and fairly evaluate any admissions offers.</p>
<p>Both of my sons went OOS (one to MN and one to PA--we are in TX) and both were 17. We haven't experienced any problems with either. In fact, the younger is back home on trimester break (gets him home about two weeks before semester folks) and misses school already. </p>
<p>My thoughts:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Some freshmen experience problems regardless of their gender, age or location. Others do not. </p></li>
<li><p>Loans are a fact of life. My kids would have to take them out if they stayed in-state, too. I think having some ownership in the debt has made them more responsible in their studies. It will be hard to pay off any loan of any size if you don't graduate.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Are your parents opposed to something in particular about going out of state? or just the idea in general?</p>
<p>Well, the school I'm applying to is all-mal; maybe because tgey don't want to lose their atuonomy over me. Also, in-state doeshave its advantages: since my parents work for the university, tuition is VERY CHEAP However, ASU is not HSC.</p>