Going to college and being independent for the first time is challenging enough. Attending a college that is outside of your home state, that's a whole different story. Although going to school outside of your home state can be a rewarding and eye-opening experience, it can be a difficult transition for some students. It certainly was for me; going from the suburbs of Pittsburgh to the small village of Ada, OH was a real culture shock for me and it took some time for me to assimilate to the many different aspects of rural life in Ohio. So for all you in-state students, here are the struggles that we out-of-state students face when going to college.
1. We know very few or no students freshman year.
Usually, people who go to school in state know other students through high school, sports, or other activities. When you're out-of-state, it's hard to find anyone from your area.
2. Finding someone from your state or hometown is like finding buried treasure.
If you are lucky enough to find someone from your area or at least your state, you instantly become best friends with them and stick with them like glue. You finally have something in common with someone on campus!
3. Going back home for the summer and having no one to hang out with is always a struggle.
Since almost everyone is from the state you're going to school in, summer breaks can be boring. All of your friends can hang out with each other, but you feel like you have no friends when you're at home.
4. We have no idea where anyone is from in the state.
Being from out-of-state, you are unfamiliar with all the towns everyone is from. You'll ask politely where other students are from; but when they tell you where, you just nod your head, say "Oh, okay...", and pretend like you know where that is.
5. We never know how to get to other places around the state.
Since you're not familiar with the area, you depend on your friends to get you outside of the college town. You have no clue where you're going and you always get confused on how to get places.
6. We're always being corrected on our pronunciation.
Being from out-of-state, you're usually unfamiliar with how certain names of streets, towns, and buildings are pronounced. I can't recall how many times I've been corrected by Ohio students on how to say town names the "right way." Like Wooster, OH, for example, is not pronounced like "booster," but rather with the same vowel sound as "push." Don't tell me how that makes sense, but I still say Wooster like "booster" to push my friends' buttons.
7. We are constantly being told we have an accent.
"You definitely have an accent, you say things weird." Guess what, from my perspective, you do too! Every region of the country has it's own accents and dialects. I'm sure I do pronounce words differently than students from other regions, but so does everyone else!
8. We sometimes use different terms for things and it confuses everyone.
In Pittsburgh, we have our own "language" known as Pittsburghese. We have unique pronunciations and terms for words; for example, "gumband" is a rubber band, "nebby" means to be nosy, etc. Sometimes I will use these terms and people will have no idea what I'm talking about. Back home, everyone understands; elsewhere, not so much.
9. Being one of the only fans of your sports teams on campus can be a challenge.
If you go to school out-of-state and are a sports fan, you won't find many students rooting for your teams. It's a struggle sometimes, especially if your team is rivals with the town's team. Regardless, you wear your gear proudly on game day and try to catch as much of the games as possible between study breaks and meetings.
10. We are always representing our hometown on campus.
11. We have things around our dorm or apartment to remind us of our hometown.
12. And most of all: "There's no place like home."
Even though you miss your town while you're away at school, you still love it and think about all the fun memories you've made and the ones you'll make during breaks. You love your hometown to death, and nothing could ever change that.
