Local vs out of state school

Hi I came here because I wanted some outside input on where l should attend college. Right now it’s basically down to Cal State Fullerton and Northern Arizona University. The great thing about CSUF is that, although I’ll be living in the dorms because I don’t want to drive 40 min everyday like I did in high school, it is closer to my family and although I don’t want to be dependent on them, I do enjoy the close relationship we have. This school also has a great business program, which is what I’m majoring in, however it is a heavy commuter school and so I’m just worried I’ll miss out on that “typical college life.” NAU however is in a beautiful area and has a great atmosphere/residential life. It’s also out of state so I’ll be completely on my own and the cost isn’t bad like most out of state tuitions since it’s part of the WUE program so it’s totally affordable. My brother went out of state and wants nothing more than to come back to California, so I’m kinda scared I’ll regret going out there, but at the same time I’m also scared I’ll regret not going and not experiencing something else while I have the resources to do so. I know I want to end up living in Orange County when I’m older and hopefully open my own small business, so should I set roots here or go out and experience something else before I start my career?

There’s no right answer to this question. It really depends on your preferences and likes.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay relatively close to where you grew up and maintain ties with your family. You can develop independence and a sense of self even if you stay close to home, depending on how you choose to conduct yourself. Many, many (probably most) young adults live their early adulthood pretty close to home - or even at home, with their parents - and develop into functioning, well-adjusted adults. (In fact, that used to be the norm until the mid-20th century; it was only after housing costs dropped precipitously and women earned more freedoms that it became more common for people to move out in their early 20s.The average age of marriage, for example, was actually higher in 1890 than it was in 1980).

There’s no way to know in advance what you might regret and what you might appreciate. So you have to make a decision based on how you feel about it now, and what you think might benefit your career and development for the next little period of time. In your heart of hearts, what would you prefer to do?

Just because NAU is out of state for you, doesn’t mean NAU isn’t a commuter school for Arizonians. So check that first.