Five Tips on Going Far Away to College
Choosing the right college can be very stressful. It's a time in your life where you become more independent, are away from home for long periods of time, and see fewer family and friends. However, don't let that scare you. Here, I'll share five pieces of advice on going away to college from my own personal experience.
My College Process:
During my college decision process, my three main options were Georgia College, Auburn University, and St. John's University. Pretty quickly, I ruled out Auburn since it was so close to home. Now, my two options consisted of either being in-state four hours away from home or go out-of-state to SJU in New York. I know, right? New York is a good 2.5-hour flight from Atlanta and I would only be able to come home on the holidays. So, I had a decision to make. Stay close to home or live my dream and go to school in New York.
After a long thought, I thought it was best to go visit St. John's in January and see if I like it up there. When the time came to visit, my parents and I flew up there on a Thursday evening, spent the night in a hotel near campus, and I went for a shadow day Friday morning. The minute I stepped out of the Uber and set foot on campus, I was instantly terrified. I could barely speak and didn't want to talk to anyone. However, I eventually had to talk, because I went with a current student and shadowed in their class. After all of that was done, I took a tour around campus that lasted about an hour or so. Finally, the tour ended and it was time for me to make a decision. After careful thought, I decided to bite the bullet and try it out for a year. I know that was a lot, but it's important to really get a feel of the campus, decide if it's right for you, and go for it.
- Trust Your Gut and Go for It
If you're like me and petrified at the thought of hopping on a plane by yourself, going to a whole different state, and now knowing anyone, then I'm here to tell you that you can do it. It will seem like the world is closing in around you, because you have to make a decision that is the start of a whole new way of life. But, this is your chance to come out of your shell and try something new. Like my parents said, "If you end up hating it, you can come home and transfer at the end of the year." So, even if you do end up feeling too uncomfortable and out of place, no worries. Just do what makes you happy. Will it be scary going to college far away? Yes, 100 percent. I won't sugarcoat it, because that's the truth. You just have to tell yourself, "I can do this," and do it. The more you think about it, the more anxious you will become and second guess yourself. Trust me on that one. So, the moral of the story is to not be afraid of change and go off to college in a different state or country and experience new places, things, and people!
2. Don't Care About What Others Think (Besides Maybe Your Parents)
Of course, you care about your parents' opinion on where you go to college. I mean, like me, you just want to make them happy, right? However, people may start talking behind your back. You see, people tend to be nosy and want to get in everyone's business. Don't let that hold you back from going to your dream college. It's not their place to tell you where you should go or any negative things they might have to say about your college choice. Let's be honest, they're not the ones making the decision so they don't have a say in anything. You have to remind yourself that you are making this choice for you and your happiness. Besides, if you start giving in to what people are telling you, you might doubt yourself and give up on a dream. That being said, the haters can back off.
3. Make a List of Pros and Cons
If you find yourself in the middle between two or more colleges, make a list of pros and cons of each. On this list, you should put down things like:
- why you want to go to "x" college
- amenities on campus
- clubs or sports teams
- costs
- scholarship possibilities
- degrees and programs
- sororities/fraternities
- stores/places to eat around campus
- size of campus
4. Find Your Roommate(s) Early and Get to Know Them
I honestly cannot stress this enough. Please, make sure you really know your roommates before going off to college. You want to make sure you will get along with them for two semesters in a possibly small room, depending on where you live your first year. Also, if you are in a suite-style dorm, meaning x number of people live in one room and x number of people live in another room, try to make sure everyone is friends. If possible, find a group of friends before school starts so you can get a suite with them. This will make communication so much better. After all, you will be sharing a living space with them, maybe a fridge, and definitely a bathroom that will need to be cleaned daily or weekly. From personal experience, I can tell you drama and bad communication will ensue if you do not make friends or attempt to be cordial with your suitemates. The last thing you want is to get the RA involved... So, please get yourself out there and find your roommates ASAP!
5. Get Involved on Campus
The first day you arrive on campus, there will be tons of events to go to and people to meet. Take advantage of that. Don't just sit in your dorm because you're scared or else you'll never go out. The more comfortable you get in your room (bed especially), the more you won't want to do anything. Hence, you'll probably start hating where you are because you're not doing anything. If they have a fair of some sort with games and free food, go!! Always get out for free food. I mean, as a college student, you'll want to take every opportunity to get free food without breaking the bank every day.
When they have club day, look for a couple to sign up for and stay committed to going to the meetings or events they throw on or off-campus. Don't sign up for more than two because you will end up only going to maybe one. Why? Well, you'll start getting assigned homework, tests, quizzes, papers, and so many more things that will stress you out. You just won't have time. If you decide clubs aren't your thing, try to find a group of people in each class and create a study group. This will help you out so much in making connections, as well as having people to text questions for in a certain class. That being said, you want to throw yourself out there as much as you're willing to because you will feel so much better about being away from home and missing people. The more on your mind, the less you dread about things.
What Now?
By this time, I hope you've taken a few tips in preparing for college. I hope at least one of these tips is beneficial in making your college decision process less stressful than filling out college applications. Choose the college that speaks to you, think of the positive and negative aspects of each place, get to know people beforehand, and go out and have fun!
-Ally
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