<p>To those of you who moved away to college, and I'm talking a pretty serious distance, do you feel it was worth it? What are the pros and cons of your experience? If you could do it over, would you or do you regret it?</p>
<p>I'm asking because I'm considering to applying to colleges in California which is SO far from where I am. I really want to hear other people's opinions/experiences/advice about this.</p>
<p>Anything else you want to add, please feel free! Thanks</p>
<p>I'm also curious about this since I'll be starting college in California in two months (I live in NY).</p>
<p>If you don't mind me asking, where will you be going?</p>
<p>Prepare to have yourselves stomped into the ground on a daily basis thanks to the high cost of living here in California; I know I'm still recovering from the freight-train-like impact.</p>
<p>I haven't had exactly the experience you're looking for, but I'll weigh in with related thoughts.</p>
<p>I did a major move before high school (upper midwest --> california), and while family move/college move are pretty incomparable, I can very truthfully say that I appreciate having experienced multiple parts of the country. Among other things, it gave me an appreciation diversity of opinions. I also did post-college study outside of the country. Again...different situation, but a bit more comparable b/c I was on my own for the move. Again, appreciated getting to experience life somewhere else, and ultimately, it really made me feel more attached to my hometown :)</p>
<p>Pros and cons are pretty easy. Greatest pro? Both moves were, ultimately, fantastic experiences. I learned a lot getting outside my hometown bubbles, I met friends from all over. Greatest con? Big moves are tough, and in my experience, they were accompanied by a fair bit of loneliness. I'd still do everything the same, given a second chance.</p>
<p>I have friends who've never lived outside of their own state/region. Some of them are talking about how much they feel like they should experience life in another part of the country, but IMO, that's a tougher leap to take when you're looking for a job and an apartment, etc. than when you're moving into a dorm with a built-in social network. At this point, I have very little idea where I'll end up living, but I do appreciate having a background that will let me stay put without feeling guilty about it (if that's what I choose to do, which it likely will be). That said, I did go to college in my own state (to SoCal from NorCal), just a short flight away. "Life experiences" aside, I just didn't feel ready for a more dramatic transition. I think, in retrospect, that I would've been just fine (college was much scarier in my head than it ever was in reality), but I was terrified at the prospect. Kind of talking out both sides of my mouth here, I realize.</p>
<p>To sum my feelings up, I do think that there are benefits. I think living in another part of the country than you're used to is a good thing to do at some point in time, but if college doesn't feel like it's the right time, you'll have other chances...don't force yourself. </p>
<p>Things to consider:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Talk with your parents about coming home. Look up some flight costs to get an idea of what's typical. Will you feel okay about potentially having Thanksgiving and other short breaks with a friend or on campus? Some parents don't want/won't let their kids apply to schools too far away...make sure you're all on the same page.</p></li>
<li><p>VISIT.</p></li>
<li><p>Consider what you're looking for. If it's a certain type of school and you just happen to have found some matches in California, fine. If it's "to live in California" specifically, you'll probably want to narrow that down.</p></li>
<li><p>I'd advise looking at schools that have relatively high numbers of OOS students, because they may be the most well-equipped to accommodate kids who are on campus over breaks (my school was 1/3 in-state, but every Thanksgiving, the dean of students hosts dinner at her house, which is popular enough that even some semi-local kids choose to stick around!). I suppose you could also argue that those with lots of local kids will be the easiest for you to find someone to go stay with, too, so perhaps this is a win-win criterion. Schools with more OOS students may also help you feel like less of an "outsider" where local culture is concerned.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>ETA: Going to a school that brought in kids from all over the country, it was difficult to see everyone spread so far out at breaks and especially at graduation. The upside is that I can connect with classmates all over the place, not just locally. Of course, this probably has more to do with regional vs. students-from-all-over type schools, but the farther away you travel, the less likely you'll probably be to wind up with close friends, significant other, etc. who live near to your home. IMO, that's both a pro and a con.</p>
<p>I am so glad I moved away for college! In fact, I wasn't even looking for colleges in my home state, because I knew I needed the distance. Moving away allowed me to become more independent. I moved from Pennsylvania to Florida, and enjoyed the climate (and beaches!) of Florida a lot more than PA. I met some great people who I may not have met if I had stayed living at home. I was exposed to a new area and a new lifestyle.</p>
<p>On the downside, you can become homesick. My freshman year roommate was so homesick that she became depressed and transferred back to her home state after the first semester. It's also fairly expensive to travel home to visit family. You'll see your family and friends back home less frequently.</p>
<p>Whether the move is right for you, only you can know. You should apply to those colleges in CA and elsewhere even if you're not sure right now, because your opinion may change over the next year. Good luck!</p>
<p>I moved 700 miles to go to college, even though I stayed in the same state. The climate was different, the atmosphere was different. I had a chance to become myself--not the child of my parents or the younger sister to my sis. It was the best thing I ever did. I highly recommend that any person who can attend a "resident" school at least 5 hours away from home should. The distance makes you grow up!</p>