This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Juniata chapter.
Being an out-of-state student has its advantages and its disadvantages. I thought I’d draw on my experience and share the pros and cons I weighed in my mind when deciding on where to attend college.
Five Reasons You Should Leave Your State:
- Time for a Change: You’ve probably spent most of your life in the same town and city, living under your parents’ roof, abiding by their rules, and so on. College is a time to explore and see what works for you. The easiest way to mature and be as independent as possible is to leave your comfort zone. The homesickness goes away, and hey, it’s only four years!
- Tuition Doesn’t Necessarily Have to be More Expensive: Juniata College has the exact same tuition for in-state and out-of-state students. Also, more and more schools are aggressively recruiting from out-of-state because it adds to the (geographic) diversity. You can probably also get more scholarship opportunities and financial incentives to attend out-of-state institutions.
- Finding the Right Fit: Don’t just go to the school that all of your high school friends are going to. If it’s a great friendship, trust me, it will survive. Sometimes the perfect school for you isn’t in your home state. Be adventurous!
- New Experience: If you haven’t traveled around America, this is a great chance to see another part of the country. If you live in sunny Southern California, go someplace that goes through all four seasons. Lived in a city all your life? Try small town living for a little bit.
- Career Opportunities: Certain parts of the country are better suited for finding the perfect career. Some areas allow for more networking connections. Don’t fear, following your dreams will often take you to unexpected places.
Five Reasons to Stay Close to Home:
- Loneliness: Even with technology and programs such as Skype, it is not the same as being home with your friends and family. It’s more difficult to get a home cooked meal and, depending on how far you actually go, having your family come to events such as Family and Homecoming Weekends can be difficult. On the plus side, living away gives you a chance to bond with certain friends and get “adopted” for short holidays or breaks.
- Traveling Expenses: Flights, train tickets or even driving more than a couple of hours can get pricey and add up quickly. Short breaks are a good chance to explore nearby areas. For example, going to college on the East Coast, I was able to go D.C., New York City and Philly, but that’s also an added expense.
- It’s Only Four Years: It may seem like a long time now, but four years goes by really quickly. However, in this short time span you can build amazing life-long friendships that you value. Then you graduate and everyone goes home. You may be the only friend that lives extremely far, and continuing those relationships can get pretty tricky.
- In Case of Emergencies: Life is so unpredictable and if, Heaven forbid, something tragic happens or you get really sick, you aren’t home. This is the scariest part of going away, but it shouldn’t deter you from doing what you want.
- Tried It, Not For Me: Whether you visit the school or not before you commit, when the school year starts, you might not like the school as much as you thought you would. In this case, sometimes it’s easier and more cost effective to stay and finish out the semester. Then, find where you want to be.