When I was first applying to colleges, I had no idea I would end up eight hours away from home. I applied to schools not too far from where I lived, but the furthest school I applied to was Sonoma State University. When I received my acceptance letter, I did not think I was brave enough to leave my family and be on my own in a city I had never even been to. When it was close to either accepting or denying the school’s offer, I sat down with my English teacher, Ms. Drinkward, and talked about all of my options and whether or not I should attend. To be completely honest, my high school teachers were one of my biggest motivators to leave my hometown and try something new. And with the help of a scholarship from my high school, I was able to proudly say that I was going to attend Sonoma State in the fall of 2014.
One of the biggest reasons I moved far from home was that I wanted change. I wanted to move out of Los Angeles since I have lived there my whole life and have known the same people for years. Everything was too familiar and I decided I needed to get out there and explore while I can. I am more than glad I left Los Angeles. Don’t get me wrong, I love my hometown and everything about it but it feels good to be in a different environment that does not revolve around traffic and palm trees.
I have highly benefited from moving away from home. I have noticed that I am a lot more independent now and I am less reliable on others. Before I moved in I was able to get a job so by the time school started I was paying for my own expenses and was hardly relying on my parents for an income. One thing I learned while being away from home was how to deal with different kinds of people. I did not know any of my roommates, so I had to learn how to get along with them and I had keep in mind that everyone was raised differently. There is also a lot more freedom when it comes to moving away from home. No one to stop you from going to Taco Bell at 2am or yell at you for not going to sleep early. Sounds great, right? But living away from home also has it’s downside. Personally, one of the worst things for me is not being able to go home whenever I want compared to people who only moved about an hour away from home. I can’t go home for special occasions like my mom’s birthday or family trips to the zoo. I only go home for vacation because of the cost. But, let’s be real, the biggest downside about not living at home is the home cooked meals. You don’t think you will miss it until you find yourself eating ramen or pasta every other day. And even when you try to cook yourself a decent meal, it still tastes nothing like your mom’s food.
If I had the chance to go back in time and change my decision, I would not change a thing. In fact, I kind of wish I would have applied to school’s further away or even out of state. Living far away from home is something to get used to, but within time it gets easier and it is easier to cope with not being around a familiar environment. If you are thinking about going away for school, I would say go for it! It is definitely something you will not regret. Go out there and take a risk. What is there to lose?