<p>Is anyone here attending or planning to attend a public university from out of state? I'm going to be attending the University of Virginia from Los Angeles, California. It's not as big a jump as it seems since I spend a lot of my time with relatives in Palm Beach, FL and Boston, MA and I can easily stay with them from time to time if I'm homesick. Either way, though, I'm definitely going to be a good deal further from home than many of my classmates. </p>
<p>Is anyone else facing this same kind of situation, or have you faced it in the past? Where are you going, and where are you from? Tell me about your worries, experiences, hopes, etc.</p>
<p>I went to the University of Nebraska, from suburban Kansas City. Not quite the jump you are experiencing, but still a new place. </p>
<p>I had gone to only three schools (1 elementary, 1 jr. high, 1 HS), with many of the same kids during my primary and secondary education. Big schools (graduated with 440 or so) so the size wasn't that big of deal, but it was strange going someplace where I only knew one other person. I was the only person from my school district (some 1400 seniors) to go to Nebraska at that point, so there was absolutely no one from home. </p>
<p>It was really great though for me. I however looked for things that would make UNL smaller though. I started out in the Honors program, I joined a fraternity. I was lucky because at UNL, fraternity rush in is the summer, so I got to meet guys in houses early, and was able to move into the fraternity house before classes started. You probably won't have that luxury. But joining a fraternity was the single best decision I ever made during undergrad. Ignore all the stereotypes and the whole "buy your friends" idea, and just see if going greek is for you. UVa has a fairly strong greek system.</p>
<p>As for combatting homesickness...keep yourself busy! It really is one of those things that if you aren't thinking about it, you won't miss it, but if you start to focus on it, you'll make yourself miserable. Do fun things and grab whoever you can. Most people are waiting for an invitation.</p>
<p>A couple of other things that will help. Take some time to look over a map of VA, so you can kind of get a feel for where the cities are and stuff. If you can at least fake your way to knowing where someone is from, you'll be surprised how that will put you in on a good foot from the start.</p>
<p>Finally, stay close to those HS friends that are deserving. You are in a unique situation in which you get to "keep" those HS friends w/o having your new college friends "intrude" (for lack of a better word). All my friends who went places where they had a lot of HS friends ended up losing friendships from HS because their new friends got in the way, causing people to make choices that were not easy. Everyone kept a couple, but I was able to keep touch more. Even if it is just drunk dials, it shows that you are thinking about them.</p>
<p>I'm going from Michigan to Ohio. It probably won't be that big of a jump and I've moved a lot (Cali to Illinois to Oregon to Michigan) so I'm used to 'readjusting' I don't think I'll really have to worry about being homesick, as I prefer being alone.</p>
<p>I'm going from St. Louis to University of Nebraska but it shouldn't be too bad since I'm still in the mid-west. I'm the only one in my high school going there so it shall be intersting. I'm scared but also a bit excited.</p>
<p>Please... Bowling Green is like 70 minutes from your house Drew. You could even go home on weekends if you wanted to. It's like going to MSU distance-wise.</p>
<p>i'm from Los Angeles too and go to IU. you get used to things quickly once things become routine, and traveling to random cities/states with friends is great.</p>
<p>i moved to san diego from a town of 18 thousand people two states away -- i like urban areas way better than small towns in the middle of nowhere, so i enjoyed the change -- i also liked being in a big multi-cultural university -- i visited family 2-3 times a year, but once i started working i only came for a week or so during summer -- overall i don't miss them too much because i do talk to them over the phone every weekend, sometimes for hours -- plus i sorta had a strained relationship with my parents who have a strained relationship with each other so it has been very emotionally aleviating to move away from all that and start living on my own</p>
<p>Man all this So-Cal-iness moving to the Midwest, makes me feel like I'm not alone. Im going from SoCal to Ohio (Ohio State!!) I think state universities can generally be more generous with aid. Drew where are you going?</p>
<p>I'm from the midwest, attending Wisconsin. For me, it was a positive change and the school has one of the highest out-of-state #s of any public university in the US (almost 42% are from out of the state of Wisconsin) so it really feels like a national university.</p>
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Man all this So-Cal-iness moving to the Midwest, makes me feel like I'm not alone. Im going from SoCal to Ohio (Ohio State!!) I think state universities can generally be more generous with aid. Drew where are you going?
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<p>Bowling Green</p>
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Please... Bowling Green is like 70 minutes from your house Drew. You could even go home on weekends if you wanted to. It's like going to MSU distance-wise.
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<p>I know, that's why I said it wouldn't be a big deal. On a side note, (you go to pihi, right?) what school did richard franklin end up signing with?</p>
<p>I went from Boston to William & Mary in VA, and I was the only one going there from my high school. Although it's a big transition at first, it gives you a great opportunity to start over and become the person you want to be. Virginians are really nice and sociable, so I found it extremely easy to make friends. W&M is 5500 undergrads, but I joined clubs as well as a fraternity to help me meet other kids more easily. It is kinda annoying how everyone is from northern VA though (I joked, I should stop asking people where they are from and just ask them what part of VA they're from instead).</p>
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I know, that's why I said it wouldn't be a big deal. On a side note, (you go to pihi, right?) what school did richard franklin end up signing with?
<p>It's funny you're going from LA to Virginia...I want to go from Maryland to LA. I'm worried about the crazy culture shock it's going to be, but, I'm excited. I find myself hoping that people are the same wherever you go, and that it will just be warmer and dryer. Heard complaints that it's gaudy and the people are fake, but this is from a kid who likes New York City, which I can't stand, so I don't trust him! This is kinda off topic, but can you tell me what you like about LA/what you don't like (the people, the city, etc.)? It's difficult to get both sides of the story around here; all my West Coast friends are originally from Nor Cal and say San Francisco is better ;).</p>
<p>Sure, I can tell you about LA! I love it and I wouldn't have wanted to grow up anywhere else. I decided to leave LA for college mostly because I knew I'd be back. :) I don't find that the people are any more "fake" or "superficial" than anywhere else. Generally people are very attractive and well-dressed, though; more so than other places I've visited. What don't I like? Traffic, smog, insane summer heat waves...</p>
<p>all nor cal people say SF is better than LA... i guess because it isn't as pretentious or whatever. nor cal and so cal are two different worlds and i think you have to grow up in LA or live here for a while for you to see past all the stereotypes and things at the surface like "hollywood", glamour, wealth, etc.</p>