20 Things You Should Know When Deciding Whether To Go Out Of State For College
College can be some of the best times of your life or the worst depending on where you go and what you do when you go. Deciding whether to go out of state for College can be a really hard decision as there are many pro’s and cons. These 20 tips should help you decide whether going out of state is the right fit for you.
1. Always Consider The Weather Of The State
If you’re from a sunny State where the weather’s nice 90% of the year or from a state with really long snowy winters, you might want to consider going to a state with similar weather so it’s not much of a shock to you. Or you may be the person that loves the snow but lives in California, in that case you should go to college in a State that has the weather you want-either way you should consider the weather.
2. Do You Know Anyone That Lives Here?
It helps to have some familiar faces to lean on when moving out of state. Even if you don’t see them, they can prepare you for life in that State.
3. Do You Know Anyone That Has Went There From Your City?
Getting a perspective from someone who has been through what you’re considering doing will help you make a better decision. Were they happy they moved out of State? What tips do they have for you going to the College you’re considering.
4. It’s Important To Make A Lot Of Friends
When You go to college out of State it’s likely that you won’t know anyone. Uprooting your life can be hard and you’ll need all the support you can get. Don’t shy away from any opportunity you might get to meet someone new or hangout with some new people. You can use any and every friend at this point.
5. Rushing Will Help You Make Friends
Even if you think the idea of rushing is repulsive and only for a certain type of person and you’re not that type of person, you’ll most likely regret not rushing as it’s an easy way to meet people and make a lot of friends instantly.
6. It Helps To Meet People Who Are Also Where You’re From
You’re going to meet a lot of people from different places and areas of the country when you go out of State for College. You’re most likely going to get a long with people who are from the same state as you so it’s good to have some friends from where you are from to fall back on. College is about meeting new people and gaining new perspectives so also make sure to make a lot of friends who are from different places as well!
7. You might lose touch with your High School Friends
It’s hard to leave people behind or find that you’re not as close with people as you used to be but college is about starting a new chapter and meeting new people. Your friends will always be there when you get back so just text them once in a while to see how they’re doing so you don’t loose complete touch.
8. Out Of State Tuition Can Be Really Expensive
Most people take out student loans to go to college and student loans take a really long time to pay off. Those payments are probably going to be even higher if you go out of state. Weigh the pros and cons to see if this school is worth the extra cost and how that will affect your future.
9. It’s Smart To Go To A JC For Two Years To Save Money
Since every school is expensive it’s smart to go to a Junior College before a four year and especially if you’re going out of state as it can be even more expensive than a local school. There’s a lot of pressure to go to a four year right out of high school but a degree is a degree and as long as you finish, people won’t know how you did it and you’ll save a lot of money.
10. Book Your Flights Home For Holidays In Advance
Flights can be expensive and after being away from home you’ll be dying to see your family and friends. If you book flights in advance for Thanksgiving, winter and Spring breaks, you’ll save a lot of money and have the assurance that you’ll see your loved ones soon.
11. Make Friends Within Your Major
It helps to have people to study with and even work with in the future. Any friend is great really but friends within your major will dramatically improve your success in that major.
12. Rush Even If Your Roommate Is Not
You might get pressure from the friends you’ve made to not rush or think that you don’t need to because you already have friends but when you’re away from home, the more friends the better. Things change and having built in friends in a Sorority or Frat will help you feel more grounded when away from home.
13. Get The Appropriate Clothing For The Weather In That State
Make sure you know what the weather’s like in the State you’re going to and plan accordingly. If the weather is going to be sunny and you’re from a rainy state, make sure to bring your shorts and tank tops. If you’re from a sunny state and you’re going to a place that snows you’re probably going to have to buy some clothes.
14. Are You Going To The School For The Right Reasons?
Are you going to this school because you genuinely like it and you like the atmosphere or are you just going there because it looks good on your Facebook update. If you’re going out of state, it is especially important that you love everything about that school and can really see yourself there because you are going to be far away from home and everything familiar.
15. Can You Really See Yourself Living Here For Four Years
Going out of state for college is a big commitment and you want to make sure that this school is a right fit. You can always come home if you don’t like it but the point of college is to have some of the best years of your life and you don’t want to waste them being unhappy about where you are.
16. Can You Live Without Your High School Friends And Start Fresh
Some people have had the same friends since they started school in Elementary School and starting fresh and making new friends can be hard. Prepare yourself to be lonely at first until you solidify a friend group.
17. You’re Going To Miss Home But It Will Always Be There When You Get Back
If you ever get homesick, just remember this might be your only opportunity to live in another state and that the people and places you miss will still be there if and when you go back home.
18. Don’t Worry About Leaving A Boyfriend or Girlfriend
A lot of people don’t want to go away from college because they fear it will ruin their relationship but if your relationship is meant to be and if that person is right for you, they’ll be there when you get back ready to pick up where you left.
19. It Helps To Have A Friend Who Is Also Going There
Find out if anyone from your high school is going to the same college as you. Write them and see if they’d be willing to meet up with you at the College. It can’t hurt to see a familiar face.
20. Keep In Touch With Friends From Home
You never know if you’re going to want to move back home or when college is over, you’ll want to have friends when you go back home, so just write your friends once in a while and keep that contact open.
