Okay so I am currently a senior in high school! Only 3 more months to go. I am extremely excited to graduate, no question about that, but I am really nervous because I cannot decide between my top 2 college choices. I have gotten into both honors programs. One school is in town, so it would most definitely be cheaper, and one is about 2 hours away, so I would have to pay for housing and a meal plan, whereas if I went to the one in town, I would not. I have talked to my parents and of course they want me to be happy and do what I want to do, but I cannot decide. I get money from the military ($1,000 a month) for going to school because my dad is a veteran, and we have money so I would not graduate with much debt if any at all (this goes for both schools). I am very family-oriented and I love my parents and my brother and I spend almost all my free time with my family. I have always just assumed I was going away for college because I heard that is the only way to get the “full experience.” But now I am second guessing …
So… for those of you who stayed home for college: did you get the full experience? Was it worth the money you saved?
and for those who went away: do you regret not staying home? Was it as great of an experience as you thought it would be?
Deep breath. You do not have to make a final decision until May 1 so you have lots of time to think about it and weight the pros and cons. You might just be reacting to the reality that this transition is going to happen now that you have acceptances. Reality has a way of causing both excitement and anxiety as well as second thoughts.
Sounds like you do have two great options, and both are affordable. Many students would love to be in that position.
Both of your school choices would be considered “close to home.” With a two hour distance it would be feasible for you to go home on weekends once in a while if you wanted to. Is there transportation (bus or train) between your home and school? Will you have your own car at school? These factors might help you to choose.
As far as the “full experience” that will always depend on you, what you do to create your “full experience,” based on what your needs are. There is this movie image “full experience” that isn’t reality. No matter which you choose you will get out of it what you put into it.
If you’d graduate with little debt at either school, then there’s not really a price reason to stay home.
Consider other factors aside from distance and price; do you like one school more than the other? Is your academic program particularly strong at a certain school or are they equal?
I go to school 12 hours away from home and extremely happy with my decision. I wouldn’t have mined staying in-state, but I definitely would not have wanted to live at home during school. However, I have friends who do live at home while attending school and are fine with it. It’s really a personal preference and you should make a decision based on what you truly want. I will say that living on campus makes it easier to get involved and make friends because you’re right near everything and you have potential friends within your dorm. If you live at home, it can be a little harder to make friends because you really have to put yourself out there and force yourself to be independent. So it’s what you make of it, either way.
You’re absolutely right. I guess because all my friends are going away I feel like I have to as well. But yeah, I guess my experience will be what I make it to be. This makes feel better! Thank you
Sounds like another possible option would be to live in the dorms in the school in your home town. That would give you the best of both worlds. You could go home any time or you could stay in the dorms. You’d also have an advantage as you know the area well. I would not view the money spent on dorm and food as a waste at all. So you can have the full experience but not miss out on things happening with your family.If you were my kid that is what I’d hope you’d do!
I would consider the culture of each school. Is the local college a commuter college or a residential college? If it is a commuter college then investigate how active the college activities such as clubs are. A commuter college can have a vastly different feel and experience. Maybe others here can post about that.
Living on campus will make it easier at an residential college to meet people and get involved in clubs, campus activities, study groups, and group projects. However, it is possible as a commuter it just takes more effort. Keep in mind, that after freshman year a lot of people (varies by school) move off campus. At your local college, you could dorm the first year and then decide what is best.
My advice, consider living on campus the first year if it is not a financial hardship for either college. After that, pick the living arrangement that best suits your personality. As for the college experience, it is what you make it for the most part.
As for cost, consider the cost of commuting such as time, gas, insurance, food, parking fees and car maintenance. It would be cheaper but not as cheap as it first appears. You also need to consider weather. If it is a residential college, it will rarely close due to weather. Others can speak for a commuter college. Many classes can have strict attendance requirements.
Unless you have a reason to stay near home, I would consider going to the one 2 hours away. Two hours isn’t that afar, really.and you will start to gain some freedom. However, that should be one aspect…cost, major, size, location, graduation requirements are all others to consider.