20 Signs You’re Going To College Close To Home
Some people dream of escaping their city or state all throughout high school, hoping to have an exotic and foreign college experience. Some succeed, some don’t, and others don’t care where they end up. This is for those who fall into the latter of the two groups. Read on for 20 signs you go to college close to home.
1. You always run into people you know while out and about.
You can’t go shopping, go out, or even walk back to your dorm hungover without seeing your sweet neighbor Mrs. Smith heading to the post office to buy stamps. You need to plan your day meticulously to avoid greeting everyone you meet on the street.
2. You still have your mom do your laundry.
Hey, detergent can be expensive, and it’s not like she isn’t used to it. Why not take advantage of a free same-day laundry service?
3. You’re the plug.
That guy who bought you and your friends beer in high school? For better or for worse, he isn’t going anywhere. There’s no need for you to befriend seniors or find a new person to supply you with the good stuff.
4. You don’t buy new clothes.
It’s not like you’re going to Antarctica State, your current wardrobe will serve you well when you’re a stone’s throw away from your house. There’s no need to add an exorbitant shopping list to your already massive student debt.
5. You don’t freak out every single season.
Every year, thousands of southerners are horrified to discover that their northern college isn’t nearly as warm as their home state. But not you, whether it’s blazing hot summers or freezing winters, you know what to expect and won’t throw a hissy fit when the thermometer is single or triple digits.
6. You study abroad.
Let’s face it, sometimes we all need some time away from home. It’ll be nice to be a 7 hour plane ride from home instead of a 7 minute car ride. Paris, London, Shanghai, you don’t care; if it’s somewhere you couldn’t draw a map of from memory, you don’t mind.
7. You eat at home.
Plenty of people miss their mom’s or dad’s cooking while away at college. Every break is a period of nostalgia-induced feasting. But you get that privilege year-round. Any time you feel a craving for a home-cooked meal, you simply get yourself an Uber and start salivating.
8. You never use Google Maps.
When your drunk friend calls you says they’re at the corner of Huron and Grove, you don’t need to check your phone to get them back to their dorm safe. You know the city like the back of your hand and guide them back totally from memory, while also taking them past a 24 hour drug store to get some Alka-Seltzer.
9. You get surprise parent visits.
Believe it or not, your parents probably miss you while you’re away at college. You “accidentally” run into them outside your dorm all the time. It starts off being nice when you don’t know many people, but when they catch you walking home from a party it can become a bit much.
10. You save a bunch of money on travel.
Being the astute mathematician you are, you realize that not making multiple round trip 3000 mile flights every year saves you thousands of dollars. You can spend that money on things more pleasant than 6 hours with your knees cramped against your chest.
11. You still see your local sports team play.
There’s no need for you, a loyal Red Sox and baseball fan, to deny your love of baseball or subject yourself to Yankees games. With the money you save on travel and clothes, you’re able to continue to get your baseball fix and be a loyal member of Red Sox Nation without compromise.
12. You’re not scared of the cops.
The boys in blue don’t scare you. You’ve met all of them over the last 18 years as well as their families. They would never arrest a friend, would they? You don’t worry about what’s in your backpack while you’re walking to or from a party.
13. You go home when you’re sick.
The campus nurse doesn’t have the same matronly warmth as your own mother. Nothing is better when you have the flu than your loving mom bringing you warm soup and tissues while you’re puking your guts out in your very own bed.
14. You have the public transit map memorized.
You’re annoyed by your friends who take fifteen minutes to figure out what stop to go to and what buses to take when you know by heart how to get there. You don’t understand how anyone could possibly not know the various connections between 10 different bus and train lines.
15. You hang out with your friends still in high school.
We all get lonely sometimes, don’t we? They may be younger than you, but desperate times call for desperate measures. You sometimes even go to their parties and their hangouts when your friends at school aren’t planning anything.
16. You already know your professors.
Prof. Winters, you mean the guy who always orders a Hawaiian pizza on Thursday nights? Half your professors you’ve already met in some capacity, and some are even your friends’ parents. Makes for some awkward first days of class.
17. You see your friends at other colleges every time they have a break.
Don’t have the same breaks as your friends? Doesn’t matter. If they’re home, you’re just a quick bus ride or Uber away. You take them to parties and introduce them to your new friends whenever you get the chance.
18. You hang out in the same places you used to, just with different people.
You’ve already perfected the night out with your friends while in high school, why break routine just because you’re in college? You take your new friends to the same restaurants, parks, and dope spots you went with your high school friends.
19. You go to your high school’s sporting events.
Those annoying Facebook event invites? Yeah, you still get them. And sometimes when it’s a particularly boring night, you might actually go to support your favorite team. Everyone looks at you like you’re a stranger but you just want to maintain some semblance of school spirit from your old school.
20. You under pack for move-in day.
Why lug an enormous suitcase up the stairs to your dorm room when you can just bring a backpack of what you need for the next week? Your possessions don’t immediately fill the room, they trickle in as they are needed. There’s no reason to waste a bunch of space with a winter jacket when it’s 90 degrees outside in late August.
These are just some of the many things which separate those who live close to the college they’re attending from those who don’t. Try to notice these signs with people you don’t know and see if they’re close to home without directly asking them.
