Mary
Which option would be best?
I'm having trouble deciding where to go to college. Excluding the costs, I want to go out of state. But I also had an idea that maybe I should go to college in-state first for the first 4 years then go to college out of state for grad...And I'd like to get out of my comfort zone and become a mature and independent woman...But I'm not sure which is best. Because if I choose to go with the idea I had, I'd still have my network on my first 4 years of college and my family and friends would be there to help. Then, after those 4 years, with all the materials I get from the first 4 years, I'll be able to carry on, taking care of myself out of state...On the other hand, if I go to college out of state for the first 4 years, I'd still have some connection at where I'm considering to go...and this will allow an opportunity to learn and grow by myself and meet new people. And honestly, I don't want to go to college in-state and see my old friends from high school...I'd like to start anew...any advice? #colleges #out-of-state #in-state
3 answers
EmilyAnn DeChiara
EmilyAnn’s Answer
First, you most likely won't feel trapped or close to home and you'll definitely still be able to learn and grow by yourself. College is unlike any environment you've probably ever been in and from day one you will feel that independence. I'm very much an independent person and despite how much I love my family, I do much better when I'm away at school. While my college is within reasonable driving distance from home, I have never felt too close to home. A few people from my high school go to my college, but I hardly ever see them and have simply made new friends - this really shouldn't be much of a problem.
Going to school in-state is usually a lot more affordable than going out of state, and I can say that I'm so glad to not have the weight of larger student loans on my shoulders. You will most likely get a great education and experience wherever you go, so a lot of times it isn't really worth the extra money to go somewhere else if you feel you'd be happy at your state school.
I had the same mindset as you and only applied to my state school as a backup, but ended up choosing to go there over about 5 or 6 other schools I got into. My advice would be to have an open mind, because going to school in your state probably won't be nearly as bad as you think.
Gloria Ortiz
Gloria’s Answer
You have a common challenge here. The fact that you can see that is amazing. I would offer this - looking back on my college life, I feel like I would have benefitted from a mix of stay at home and living at school. College is really hard. I had no idea when I moved away for my freshman year how hard it was. I had left my support system at home. I did not think that I would miss home and friends as much as I did. I ended up not finishing college then because the new area just did not have the atmosphere that I needed to continue. And to your point, I was not going to stay in that small college town for the rest of my life anyway, so I felt no need to stay.
If I had to do it over again, I would stay home and do my first two years of college at home. I would need to make sure that I understood where the college credits that I earned could be transferred to. That is critical, since it is pointless to go to a community college where my credits won't transfer. It's a waste of money. Then I would go out of state and do what I did before, move into the dorms. Once I had the college routine down from my first two years, I would feel less stressed and more able to build relationships with all these new people. I would have been 20 going on 21 my junior year and would have had a lot more life experience to draw on.
Gloria
Steve Lewis
Steve’s Answer
Not all the same people will be at your college if you decide to go in-state. You will still be able to meet new people. If you want to save money, go to a college close to home and commute. There are a lot of advantages of staying home and commuting. But, if you want to get out of the house, then you could still stay at a dorm at an in-state college. Good luck!
I was in the same exact situation as you when deciding to go to college. I ended up going out of state and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. However, I have friends that went to schools in state and they definitely did not regret it. I was happy to get out of my comfort zone and meet new people, but just because you are going to a school in state does not necessarily mean that you will be hanging out with all of the same people you did in high school. If you put yourself out there and get involved at your new school, you will make plenty of friends, no matter where you end up. Ultimately, whatever school you go to is completely what you make of it, regardless if you're in state or out of state.
Caitlin