So I’m a senior at a high school in New York and I have until May 1 to make a college decision. My intended major is business. As of now, I’m juggling between attending Wagner college on a half scholarship( 10 minutes from my house) or mount Saint Mary college in Newburgh (hour and a half away). My main uncertainty is whether or not I should go away or not. If I stay home I’m sure I’ll enjoy myself at Wagner, a D1 school, but I’ll also miss out on numerous opportunities and the campus life and “college experience”. I feel like if I don’t live on campus I’m missing out on opportunities to meet new people and live on my own. On the flip side, staying home will make my family happy and I won’t have to worry about missing them. In the end, it’s experience vs family life. I don’t know what to do. Someone help??? Mount Saint Mary college vs Wagner college
That’s a tough question. Have you lived away from home before for camp or anything?
An hour and a half is not far at all if you wanted to come home several weekends?
It really depends on how you feel though. Do you feel missing your family will be more distressing than anything you might miss out on by commuting?
Nah I never really lived alone. However 2 of my friends are most likely going to mount St Mary so I’ll have them to dorm with
Are you able to live on campus at Wagner (best of both worlds)?
Great question. I would be able to, however it’s 13,000 more and I’m only 10 minutes from home. It would be kinda silly
Nick you are making me laugh. My family moved from Staten Island to NJ in 1973. My grandmother fainted and smash her head on the kitchen table. When I announced where I was going to college, 14 hours by car, she rolled her eyes and did it again. She cried for weeks because she was afraid other kids would force me to take drugs. I know the family dynamics for some are very different and I have a sense I know yours pretty well.
However, you should go away for a while. Trust me they will enjoy visiting you and you will enjoy being away.
Lol that’s funny. So yeah idk what to do
We all have to leave home sometime. For me, I’ll be moving ten hours away from home this fall
Maybe you should look at what college offers better things for you, a better business program, more internship opportunities? Try making the decision from a different point of view.
Then if it’s Wagner, you could try living at home for a year and if that doesn’t work out then move on campus?
Are your parents fine with paying for Mt St Marys?
Yes i got a scholarship and financial aid
You probably don’t realize it, but these 2 statements are at odds with one another.
Room with 2 of your pals and it will be HS without parental supervision. And maybe that’s what you want…
But most kids do better getting assigned a random roomate by the college. Your friends know the Nick from HS and that’s what they expect to continue (reasonably, I should add). But maybe you want to change some things. Become more serious about school. Or less serious and have more fun. Meet different kinds of people than you hung out with in HS. Find new things to do for fun, listen to different music. And so on. Expect resistance from your friends that want you to keep being the Nick they thought they were rooming with. And friends from HS expect that if you’re going to a party or somewhere with a group of kids, they’re automatically invited; the other people might not share that sentiment.
Not only that, sharing a dorm room with friends is different from being HS pals. Friction arises when friends assume you don’t mind them borrowing things, bringing people over at all hours, etc. Stuff people would at least think twice about doing with a stranger assigned as a roomate.
There is no guarantee a random roomate will work out great, but usually people can at least be civil even if they aren’t great friends. My advice is to enjoy going to college with your pals, hang out with them if/when you want, but don’t room with them.
@mikemac I think it really depends on what kinda people you and your friends are. I, for one, would love to dorm with my best friend. Also, it’s common to see people dorm with people they just meet on facebook chats, so how is this worse than that?
I do agree that it can be not so good to room with your high school buddies, as it may stop you from meeting new people, but it doesn’t have to? Also, there can be friction, but wouldn’t you be more eager to work through it with your friend rather than some random guy?
I agree 100%. Rooming with your pals gives you the advantage when you start that you actually know someone. Then you can go out on your own and meet new people. It’s the comfort of living wit kids I knew my whole life rather than a stranger