The best part about finally starting your college career is independence. You are free to go out whenever you want, eat whatever you want, and spend all night watching Netflix instead of studying for that huge biology exam you have the next day. Some people have the luxury of being able to bring their dirty laundry home every weekend and eat a nice home cooked meal with their family, but when you go to a school half way across the country you experience more responsibility and an all-around different type of college experience.
I’m from a town just south of Boston called Weymouth, Massachusetts. After my brother went to Ohio State University, I decided thaty I really liked the Midwest. I looked into a couple of Big Ten schools and finally found Iowa. I took one visit here and my heart was set on becoming a Hawkeye. Now, I’m a sophomore at UI and I have to say it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.
Here are the five most important reasons why I think anyone should consider going out of state for school.
1.) Living in a brand new environment.
Once I moved away from the east coast I realized how diverse our country really is. The Midwest is a whole new ball game for a city girl and I’ll admit that at first it was a little overwhelming. But since you can’t run back home you need to learn how to navigate yourself in a new environment. I learned how to assimilate very quickly here in Iowa and this is a skill that will be important in life even after college is over.
2.) Meeting new friends & finding out who your true friends really are.
It is really hard to pack up your suitcases and bid farewell to everyone and everything you’ve known for your whole life. The first, and probably most nerve wrecking, thing you need to do when you start college is make new friends. Since you’re from a different part of the country everyone will be interested in you and vice versa. You can bond with people over little things like your accents or differences in your home town experiences. When you return home after a couple months you will be able to tell who your real friends are. The ones who greet you at the airport and shower you in hugs and kisses are your real friends. If they don’t even bother to contact you, they probably aren’t true friends. And this is okay, too. College pulls people in different directions, but the world gets smaller as we meet new people.
3.) It helps you appreciate home SO much more.
If you go to school half way across the country you can’t just hop in a car and go home for a weekend. It sucks sometimes, especially when you start to get homesick. However, when the first break rolls around and you FINALLY arrive at home after a long plane ride you will find yourself jumping with joy to be sitting in an ACTUAL kitchen. Opening a real sized fridge will feel glorious. Swan diving into your own comfortable bed will be the best feeling and you’ll sleep like a queen while you’re home. But you’ll be anxious to get back to school and you’ll learn it’s better to love some things from a distance.
4.) Learning (and starting) new traditions.
Before coming to Iowa I had never been to a tailgate before. My first tailgate was probably the coolest thing I’ve EVER experienced. Hawkeye football is like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life. Hearing I-O-W-A ring throughout Kinnick gives me the chills! Had I not chosen to come to school here I would have never experienced these traditions. Now, I’m starting a new tradition in my family. When I grow up and have children they will DEFINITELY be Hawkeyes too!
5.) Truly gaining your independence.
Whether you go to a college 45 minutes away from your house or half way across the country, you WILL experience independence, but the freedom you get by traveling away for college is much more satisfying. It’s true independence that you cannot understand until you go to an out of state school.