When it comes to choosing which university to attend, the decision can be tough. I couldn’t be happier with my choice to attend the University of Central Florida. However, I faced a bit of uncertainty when trying to make a decision during my senior year of high school. As someone who attended high school in Orlando, many of my peers at the time would refer to UCF as “the local school” and say it in a negative tone, as if living less than an hour from family was the worst thing in the world.
No, I am not going to sit here and list all of the reasons why I think UCF is great. (Even though it is.) Instead, I’m going to explain why you shouldn’t be afraid of attending the university closest to home even if you don’t plan to commute.
1. Being home sick is so much easier to fix.
Miss sleeping in your own bed? It’s so easy to go home for a night.
2. You know most of the area.
When your friends are looking for somewhere to hang out, you are the go-to person with all of the fun places ready in mind.
3. You get to house your friends for the holidays.
When holidays come around and you’re out of state friend can’t get home, you get to have an extra friend for the holiday.
4. Saving money
Close to home means you are also staying in state, so the tuition is much less expensive.
5. Home cooked meals
You get more opportunities for home-cooked meals, and, trust me, you are going to want to take advantage of that.
6. Free laundry runs
There is also the opportunity to do your laundry for free with a simple road trip home for an afternoon.
7. If you live at school, you definitely still get the feeling of living on your own.
Whether your parents live 30 minutes away or states away, if you’re not living with them anymore you still get to learn about taking care of yourself. (Having your family near just gives you some perks.)
8. Yes, you still get the full college experience.
Living at your school means you are not with your family all of the time, and you still get to attend all of the stereotypical fun college events.
9. You never have to miss big family events.
Yes, some people really look forward to getting away from family, but at the end of the day you know you don’t want to miss a family member’s big accomplishment or memorable moment, right?
There is no reason why a university being close to home should be a con when considering which school to attend. There are several ways you can take advantage of having lived in the area for years. So if you live in Central Florida in particular, definitely keep UCF on your list of incredible universities.
Photo credit:
http://pharmabooth.com/category/international/
http://geeins.com/good-friends-don-t-let-friends-drive-uninsured-our-ref…
http://www.gijobs.com/planning-holidays-decision-spend-time-family-friends/
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2011/06/30-easy-ways-to-save-money-and-no-y…
http://www.debbieshomecooking.com/home-cooking-testimonials.html
http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/960363/5-quick-laund…
http://www.grace.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/what-bring-college
http://knightnews.com/2011/10/photos-spirit-splash/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-arndt/the-best-gift-divorced-pa_b_5395…