When I made the decision to go to Virginia Commonwealth University so many people were confused with my choice. They weren’t confused because VCU is a bad school or because I had never expressed an interest in the school. They were confused because I wanted to go to a college that was only 30 minutes away from my hometown. Most of my former classmates, friends and even family members were confused to as why I would want to go to a college so close to home. In my head, I didn’t care if VCU was close to home. I wanted to go to VCU because I knew I’d be happiest there. However, I definitely realized once I got to college that when you go to college close to home, you deal with things a little differently than when you go to a college far away. Here are some things that people who go to a college close to home can relate to:
1. Commuting
Personally, I cannot relate to this because I begged my parents to allow me to stay in a dorm. Caroleena McNeil, a freshman at VCU, has commuted this entire school year and is planning to commute the following year.
“It’s nice to commute because I get to save money, but it can get annoying because I’m not on campus 24/7,” McNeil said. “Commuting is hard at times because it feels like I’m missing out on some opportunities.”
2. You know all of the fun places to go to around campus already
I’m always shocked when I’m talking to another student and they ask me, “Have you ever tried Mellow Mushroom?” or “Have you ever been to Belle Isle?” There wasn’t a lot to do in my hometown so most of my time was spent in Richmond before college. I came to VCU knowing all the fun places to go around town, so when I hear people ask me these questions I have to remember that not everyone is from around Richmond.
3. Still being able to work at your job at home
Everybody needs that extra bit of cash. Personally, I didn’t want to work at my job at home very frequently because I wanted to focus on adjusting to college my first year. However, I still am able to come back on weekends and even weekdays if I wanted to. I know so many people who still work from their hometown and go to VCU at the same time and it’s such a benefit to have.
4. Friends from other colleges come to visit more often
I have a group of friends who to colleges all over Virginia and it’s hard for them to visit each other because they don’t have their own cars to use to visit other colleges. However, whenever their parents pick them up to go back home, VCU is right around the corner to reunite. I see my friends from other colleges at least once a month because I live so close to home, and I’m so thankful for it.
5. You can go home anytime for home-cooked meals
Let’s face it, no matter what college you go to you’re going to get sick of the food there. Whenever I start getting sick of Shafer or Raising Cane’s I know it’s time to go visit my parents. Nothing is better than a home cooked dinner and I’m honestly so thankful I can have it basically whenever I please.