Choosing what college I wanted to attend was the hardest decision of my life. I applied to almost 35 schools nationwide and only one of them was an in-state school. In the end, I chose to attend Southern Utah University, a college over 1,000 miles away from my hometown–Kansas City, Missouri. I have honestly loved my college experience thus far, and have never regretted my decision. There are however, a few things I wish I would have known before moving out of state. So, here are 10 things no one tells you about moving out of state for college.
Chances are, no one you went to high school with is going to go to the same college as you if you choose to move out of state. No one is going to know who you are or where you came from. That means you are going to have to get outside of your comfort zone in order to get to know people and make new friends. As scary and intimidating as that sounds, it is awesome. Some of my best friends are people I met during orientation my first weekend at school. If I had, had friends from high school around I probably wouldn’t have met those really amazing people!
Over the past two semesters I have been in college, I have yet to meet anyone from Missouri, let alone the Kansas City Area. Whenever I’m asked where I’m from, I have so much pride for where I come from. Moving so far away will make you realize how much you love where you’re from, and how unique your experiences are from those of your peers. Moving away won’t ever replace your hometown and it’s okay to take pride in where you come from.
As a result of living so far away from home, you probably didn’t bring a car with you to college. Now most college towns have a lot of things within walking distance, but walking to and from the grocery store is not a pleasant experience. You better hope your roommate has a car, and you and her become good friends, or you need to become friends with someone who has a car ASAP.
The majority of my friends live only a few hours drive away from campus. When they make plans to go home for the long weekends or breaks, it hurts. You are going to have to endure listening to your friends talk about how excited they are to sleep in their own bed, have their mom’s cooking and to be with their family for the weekend. You are probably going to be a little homesick knowing that your family is miles away. When this happens, FaceTime is going to be your ally and you and your fellow out-of-state friends are going to be each other’s support system.
Don’t get my wrong, your in-state friends are awesome, but there’s just something about having someone else who knows what it feels like to be far away from home, that’s comforting. On long weekends when most people have gone home, your out-of-state friends are going to be the ones that come over, marathon Netflix and eat junk food with you. They are also the ones that are going to understand your excitement when Winter Break rolls around and you all finally get to go home!
In college you build relationships to last a lifetime. I got lucky, and my best friends happen to be my five amazing roommates. When I have a rough day, they’re there to give me a hug and help me through it. You and your roommate(s) may not click, and that’s okay, that just means you’re going to make friends that live different places. Your friends in college are going to see you through your roughest days and your best days. They are going to become the people you tell your good news to, share your heartbreaks with, become your family and your home away from home.
Moving from the humid mid-west where there are only two seasons–summer and winter– and only being accustomed to mid-west living, I was in for a huge shock. Moving to Utah, I suddenly had all four seasons; summer lasted through August, the leaves changed in the fall, and now it’s winter. Also, according to my friends, the springs here are beautiful. Moving out-of-state is sometimes like moving to a foreign country; people do things differently, the weather is different, accents are new and you have to get used to a whole new town.
The times you get to go home are something you’ll learn to treasure. It’s going to be weird being home, but you are going to have so much fun. The hardest part of your whole trip is going to be saying goodbye. In fact, the hardest part of EVERY trip home is saying goodbye. Knowing this fact, you’re going to want to be a little kinder, hug a litter harder and spend a little more time with your family. You may love being at school, but nothing replaces being at home with your family. Let me tell you, saying goodbye NEVER gets easier, you just learn to remember the good times more.
You are living your fabulous college life, and sometimes it feels like your life is at the center of the universe. This is especially true if you are the oldest sibling, or the only child in college. The thing is, life back at home goes on: your parents go to work everyday, your siblings go to school, they participate in choir concerts, school plays, family game nights, and weekends at the lake…all without you.
Your younger brother will go on his first date, or your sister will be looking for the perfect prom dress, and you’re not going to be there for either of them. It’s going to be hard at first to realize that their lives haven’t changed a whole lot without you there. You’ll get phone calls and get to hear about the big things, but it won’t be quite the same. Sometimes you’ll be hit with bouts of homesickness, but I promise it will get easier.
Despite the ups and downs of moving out of state for college, you have made the best decision of your life. Living out-of-state teaches you to be independent, allows you to have unique experiences, and to meet amazing new people. So, take the bull by the horns. Step out of your comfort zone and make the most of your college experience, because going to college out-of-state is truly a once in a lifetime experience.
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