No Close Colleges!

Ryan Glover l Digital Editor

A long nine-hour drive or a slightly less long, two-hour flight. This is the quickest time it would take to get to the closest college I applied to.

Most seniors apply to colleges around where they live. This idea did not ever even pop into my head. My main goal was to get out and explore all the country had to offer.

I applied to Arizona State University, Clemson University, University of Southern California, University of South Carolina, University of Florida, University of Georgia, and University of Tennessee.

All these schools have outstanding broadcasting programs. This is the main reason I was drawn to the schools, along with the fact that they were far away.

The main question I get when talking about college is, “why do you want to go so far away?” The answer many expect to hear is, “I hate living in my hometown,” or “I want to get away from my parents.” When I tell them the real answer, they are shocked.

Going to college far away has so many benefits to help prepare you for life. Living far away teaches you to rely on yourself because mommy and daddy will not be and cannot be there to help with every little thing. From doing your laundry to picking stuff up like your prescriptions, learning how to do these can benefit you for the rest of your life.

Another great thing about going far away is getting a fresh start. I can leave my high school life behind and start all over by meeting great new people and making new friends.

Sure, I will miss all my high school friends, but the world is so big. Getting out there can allow me to meet all different types of people that I would have never met by staying local.

Going far away, I can also learn about different cultures. One of my favorite things that I have picked up from visiting colleges is the word, “Yall’s.” I catch myself using it all the time, and my friends make fun of me for saying it.

The idea of far colleges can also scare some kids because they might feel homesick or out of place. This factor does scare me a tiny bit because I can definitely see myself missing my parents and home.

My sister is a sophomore at Auburn University in Alabama. When she comes home, she always talks about how much she is enjoying her life. Sure, she misses us a lot, but all the great things about her far-away college overpower her homesickness.

When deciding to go far away, I took this to heart because now I know there are many ways to overcome the homesickness I may feel.

So sure, going far away to college will be very scary at first. But overall, I think that it will be a life-changing experience, and, with all the great benefits, it was the right decision for me.