<p>so, i'm not in college yet, and i hope that doesn't upset anyone, but i have a question that i think only college students can answer. </p>
<p>so there's this great school that's close to where i live. it's a rather small private school that's selective (accepts about 30% of applicants), and has great programs for what i want to do. i love the college's atmosphere. but it's SO close to where i live, and i've always wanted to move far away from where i grew up. it's literally twenty minutes from where i grew up, and i spent all of sophomore and junior year becoming familiar with the campus because i have a research mentor who's a professor there (another reason to go). </p>
<p>tl;dr - does anybody have experience with moving far or staying close to college, and can anybody tell me what they prefer and why?</p>
<p>I always wanted to go far away for college, too. I’m from the South and I wanted to go to college in the Northeast, or maybe California. I ended up going to a small women’s college about 20-30 minutes away from my parents’ home/my own childhood home.</p>
<p>It was better than I expected!</p>
<p>How this goes really depends on you and the school itself. My LAC was a private residential campus; most students were from OOS and it was in a consortium of other colleges close by, plus in a major city (Atlanta) that is known as a great college town. I lived on campus, and I did not go home often at all. It was actually a nice mix - I got to go see my parents inexpensively when I wanted to, and they didn’t have to travel far to come to graduation or to bring me something. But I also lived my own life on campus and had a pretty “traditional” college experience.</p>
<p>My younger sister also went to college close to home (about 40 minutes away). She lived at home for her first few years. Although she had issues with my parents wrt independence (mostly because she’s the baby), she had a lot of fun and has a lot of crazy stories - some of them much crazier than mine, even though I lived on campus! She has tons of friends and has the advantage of still hanging out with some of her closest friends from high school plus her new friends.</p>
<p>I’ve had both experiences. I spent my freshman year away from home and I really liked it. The independence it offers was great and I became more self-aware of how I needed to better take care of myself in terms of health (eating), and cleaning (man was my room a mess). Anyhow, it was an experience worth having that I do not regret. </p>
<p>I moved back home because of financial reasons and I can tell you that this is also an experience I do not regret. It’s the comfort of being in your own home that is a thing you can’t get anywhere else! Oh, and that yummy homecooked food!</p>
<p>If I could, I suppose I would like to move away again or live on campus OOS if it meant I wouldn’t get be in debt. However, living at home is great as well because I’m saving up money to move out after college + after I find a job so I suppose I’ll have my full independence then! It’s a really nice luxury in not having to grocery shop, honestly.</p>
<p>Overall, I think you need to weigh what’s more important to you. During the college application process, you’ll find that the location matters but also the school’s culture/campus, academics, and most importantly, the cost. From what I’ve read on this forum, cost is the #1 reason on why students choose x and y college. If you could afford to go away, I don’t see why you shouldn’t. It’s a great learning experience if you are ready for it. There’s a ton of great schools around the country that have a lot of great programs for different majors. You could search them out and see if they interest you the least bit. If not, staying home is not a bad option at all! You’ll get to spread your wings and fly away soon enough – your college years go by way fast.</p>
<p>Do what you think is best for you and your family. Have a talk with your parents, or, just apply to all and then decide after the decisions come out. I’m from the South and going to college in the Northeast. The cons are that when you want to see your family and you miss them, you really can’t, unless it’s a big break. The good thing is that you get to see what other places are like, you meet people from different areas, and you get to have more practice being independent. It’s tough, but you learn a lot. </p>
<p>Being close to home would be nice b/c of that comfort, and I feel it’d be pretty chill. Both have their pros and cons, and they’re both great options.</p>
<p>and if i decided to go to college so close, i definitely would not stay at home lol, because i cannot wait to leave my house; not that it’s particularly bad, but i’m so sick of it. </p>
<p>it’s a good point that there are plenty of colleges in the world, and i can find another one with a great atmosphere for me and great programs for my major. i really DO want a change of scenery and, really, life.</p>
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<p>exactly what i want to happen. i wanna break away and learn how to do things myself.</p>