As a high school senior, I was completely torn with my college decision. But then I thought to myself: how unreal would it be to go to school with my big brother? Looking back, I have no idea how I ever considered otherwise. Here are 7 major perks of going to school with your big brother:
1. He is there to answer your very important freshman questions.
I still laugh about the Sunday afternoon I had to text my brother asking, “Is it weird if I sit alone in Barone and study?” But hey, who would want to ask their NSL that? Having your big brother on campus means you always have somebody to ask the totally odd, but completely relevant questions. Even better, you can always expect an honest answer. However, never ask him for fashion advice. Save the “What should I wear tonight?”  questions for his girl friends.
2. He is there to help you study, even when you ask him to last minute.
Going into freshman year, I expected my classes to be straightforward and my professors to always be reachable. Yeah, I was totally wrong. Your big brother is the perfect person to reach out to when you miss your professor’s office hours and have yet to begin studying for your exam the next day. Plus, he’ll probably know to bring some other friends to help out when the two of you unsurprisingly can’t figure your sh*t out.
3. Half the time he is the party, and the other half he’s got the hook-up.Â
Having a big brother who lives at Fairfield Beach isn’t necessarily the worst thing, is it? A brother with a beach house means no Friday nights spent pre-gaming without a cause, or wandering aimlessly around the townhouses. Unlike your freshman peers, you can always count on a Friday or Saturday night well spent. That is until you hear the terrible midnight words: “Call a cab, we’re going to the bar.”
4. Half of your wardrobe is comfy, oversized clothing.
It is a proven fact that boy’s sweatshirts are ten times comfier than girls.  Going to the same school as your big brother makes it totally acceptable to rock that completely oversized and perfectly worn-in “Fairfield University Hockey” sweatshirt around campus whenever you like. Plus, you’ll never actually have to buy any university apparel yourself. Major money saver!
5. Even when you feel completely lost, you know you’re not alone.
Nobody will admit it, but freshman year is terrifying. The fact that you are confused and homesick doesn’t mix well with the constant struggle of making new friends, taking new classes, and figuring out a new campus. These feelings of being lost in the shuffle will never last long with a big brother around. You always have somebody who knows exactly how to calm you down, and how to make you feel like you aren’t alone in your struggles.
6. You miss your BFF’s from home, but you know one is always close by.
My brother has always been my absolute best friend. We’re there to talk each other through anything, and we mean it when we say we would drop everything for each other at any given moment. Sure, like normal siblings, we have our disagreements, but we always work them out. Being on campus with your big brother gives you the greatest opportunity to strengthen this relationship and become even closer.
7. You don’t just have one big brother, you have several.
As if having one big brother isn’t enough, try adding in several more. Whether you know these boys as his housemates and/or his teammates, you will soon be able to think of them as your own family too. These extra big brothers will have your girl friends in awe and any guy that crosses your path very intimidated.  With all of these older brothers around, you will never have any reason to be upset, and you will certainly never be bored.
So, if you are as blessed as I am to have an older brother you can go to school with, do it. You will never regret it.
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