During my time at UTM, one thing I’ve always noticed is the amount of students that go here that are already from this area. By no means am I judging their decision, but I don’t think I could ever do that. I’ve always viewed college as a way to escape the environment you grew up in for a few years, and as a way to learn about new cultures and other types of people.
When I was deciding on schools to apply to, one personal requirement was that it had to be at least two hours away from Nashville, where I’m from. There are plenty of schools in and around the Nashville area, but I didn’t feel comfortable staying so close to what I’ve been surrounded by since I started elementary school. I wanted to feel more freedom, and I didn’t think I could get that if I stayed within 30 minutes from my childhood home and family.
In my opinion, college opens up so many opportunities to learn about different ways of life. It also helps you develop into an adult. I don’t think I would’ve learned so much about simple everyday things like grocery shopping, house cleaning or taking my car to the shop if I still lived really close to my family. Sure, I have common sense, and I did most of those things throughout high school, but there’s something different about being an adult when you don’t have family or old friends to fall back on in case you need help.
Moving away from your family helps prepare you to be a real adult after graduation, and it also provides you with a variety of new experiences. One reason why so many people benefit from travel study trips and semesters abroad is because being in a different environment is the best teacher for all aspects of life. While moving a few hours away from home isn’t necessarily the same as going to a different country, it still allows you to learn about diversity and other regional differences while also providing you with freedom. Overall, I’m so glad I chose to go to a university three hours away from my hometown, and if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.