“Mom I forgot my workout sneakers and my favorite jacket, can you mail them asap!?!”
Is something my roommates have all asked their parents. But I will never have to ask this question.
My question would sound more like, “Mom, I left my workout sneakers at home, can you drop them off after work?”
A lot of people think they have to travel far to get the full college experience of being away from home, but for me, staying close was the best option. And I couldn’t love it more.
I live about twenty minutes from campus, but you would never know it. I never go home, and my family rarely comes to visit. Which means I still experience the same things as someone far away.
I get homesick too.
Friends at school are the best and become your support system, but sometimes, they’re just not your family. You might think it would be easy for me to just go home, but I have a life on campus and my family is busy at home. They don’t have time to drive an hour to get me and bring me home on my every whim. So just like those far travelers, a call or facetime is usually the answer.
Despite popular belief, I don’t have to worry about my parents hanging over me.
My friends always say they could never go to school so close to home because their parents would always show up unannounced. But there have been multiple occasions where my mom texted to take me out to dinner and I said no. They understand that I’m at school and respect my space.
My mom doesn’t baby me.
My parents don’t pay for everything and drop it off for me. They don’t bring me food and they DEFINITELY don’t pick up or do my laundry.
When I’m bored of being home in the summer, sick of my family, and can’t wait to get back to Trat pizza and hiking at South Mountain, all I have to do is get in my car and drive twenty minutes.
And let’s not forget that all my friends are able and willing to come visit on their breaks since I’m so close.
In the end, being at school is what you make of it, and depends a lot upon the people with whom you surround yourself. Pick friends who you know will have your back and you’ll always feel like you’re at home with people to help you out even if “mom” isn’t there.