<p>I live in Massachusetts and I've lived here all my life. (Go Red Sox and Patriots! lol) And as deciding where to attend college comes closer, I have no idea where I want to go. </p>
<p>I just know I want to get out of Massachusetts. Not that I hate my state, but I want to experience new things in different states and feel independent. I know there are many great colleges in Massachusetts. I don't want a college experience where I can hop on the train and be home in less than an hour. I want to feel more independent, ya know?</p>
<p>Problem is I have no idea how far from home I really want to go. California colleges seem awesome but I feel like I would be too far away. It would be so cool to experience so much independence because I definitely LOVE being independent. But if I went to a California college or somewhere far away my parents could never come visit me and I could never visit them.</p>
<p>In a nutshell I'm conflicted because I want to go far away and be independent but on the flip side I'm afraid my excitement will wear off and I will be extremely homesick. </p>
<p>Have any of you gone far from home to attend college? Did you like it? Did you feel homesick a lot? Do you regret your decision? Anyone who is currently enrolled in college, how has your experience been?</p>
<p>If your family can afford it, I would strongly suggest visiting some of the “far away” colleges that you’re thinking of. The trip there and back will give you a more realistic sense of how far away each school really is . . . as well as helping you to discover if it’s a school you’re really want to attend.</p>
<p>At least one CC regular swears that kids are more successful when they attend college close to home . . . but I’m sure you could find a dozen others who’s be quick to disagree. But it’s a very personal decision. My kids wouldn’t bat an eye about being away from home - whether it’s the other side of the country or halfway around the world. Your experience might be different. Regardless of what anyone says, you need to decide what’s right for YOU.</p>
<p>By the way, just because you could “hop on the train and be home in less than an hour” doesn’t mean you’d have to. Lots of kids attend school 30 minutes to an hour from home . . . and still make it home only for major vacations. That decision is up to you, too.</p>
<p>If you don’t feel you want to go far away for college, then don’t. There are tons of wonderful schools in the northeast. My S ended up at a undergraduate college not too far away from us and he had a wonderful experience. He spent a summer in China and is now going to grad school in another part of the country. For people who want a big change, it is great to move to another part of the country or go overseas. But there is no downside to being reasonably close if that is what you want --in fact, it makes the logistics easier.</p>
<p>if you can afford it , the school you go to should be far enough that you have to fly! that is part of the desired college experience (IMO) if you like smaller schools and are a good student check out rollins college and stetson university! if you are a great student check out rice university and vanderbilt! if you are a more average student check out butler university and drake university. all far from home but easy to get back for breaks!</p>
<p>I will probably need to stay very very local, unfortunately (as in living at home/coming home weekends), and I’d love to be away for college! But I don’t care if it’s 20 miles or 2000, I just want to be away and have a seomwhat independent lifestyle.
Every summer, I stay for a month at relatives about 75 miles away. I talk to my family all the time, but I don’t see them (though they send stuff all the time!). Honestly, except for the packages, I don’t see a difference between a nearby college where you don’t come home and a far-off college where you don’t come home, as long as your cell-phone and Skype work the same way in each.
Focus more on finding the right fit. If it’s in Massachusetts, just pretend your family lives in Mississippi or something. It’s a small enough world that you really can have it both ways.</p>
Independence has nothing to do with how far you live from home … it has to do with how you and your parents interact with each other. For example, I know kids who go to school 2-3 miles from home who are more independent and see their parents less than kids going to school on the opposite coast from their parents.</p>
<p>So my advice would be if going “too far” away makes you feel uncomfortable than don’t go to school that far away .</p>
<p>if you are a plane flight away, it helps break the crutch of just running home! not everybody has that problem but, many do or have parents who do not let them grow.</p>
<p>You don’t have to consider only the extremes, you know! Massachusetts to California is extreme, could get very expensive, and may not be something your family could realistically afford. What about colleges a few hours away? Look for private colleges and Universities that may be able to offer better merit scholarships/grants than big State schools. OOS students at OOS schools usually don’t get much financial help. Virginia, Pennsylvania, head west into New York State, or even farther toward the mid-west. You would be able to drive if you really had to, but could also fly home if you needed to get home quickly. You have lots of locations to consider, so I would start with identifying some schools that could be affordable, offer what you are interested in, and are about the size you want. </p>
<p>One thing - my D thought she wanted a 6-10 thousand size school. Ended up at a small Private Univ. in NH, that gave her great $, I mean less than 1500 students, and she is absolutely loving it! She has gotten to know professors and was allowed to do things as a Freshman that at a bigger school would most likely have NOT been allowed just due to red-tape and number of students issues. So, if a school sounds good, don’t let the size completely dictate whether you consider it or not…visit. I really recommend trying to do overnight visits at the schools, sitting in on classes, eating dinner in the dining halls, etc, if at all possible.</p>