While it may be difficult and scary to move away to a different state or a far away place to attend college, I believe that it is absolutely necessary to grow and cultivate a new, more independent life for yourself. When I moved from Tennessee to South Carolina, it was hard not seeing my family and friends every day, and I often found myself missing the everyday comforts of home. However, the transition to college life went smoothly and I was happy to find incredible friends that I know will last for a lifetime. These are the among the many reasons that I heavily recommend moving away from college:

1. You'll learn how to manage your finances.

College is place where many people get their first job and learn how to manage what they are spending. If you move away from home, you can't run to your parents all the time begging for more money. While it can be difficult to navigate your way through being broke pretty much 24/7, it teaches you how to be more responsible with your money.

2. You better your time management.

College isn't like high school where you get up at the same time everyday and go to the same classes with a few extracurricular activities thrown in. Your parents aren't right there to remind you about every little thing. You have learn to get up at different hours and manage your homework and social time without letting it all get too stressful (oftentimes it does though). However, time management is an essential skill to have and the more you better it, the easier things get.

3. You meet different people.

I'm not saying going to your local college with a bunch of familiar faces is a bad thing; it can be reassuring to some people. For me, it seemed like it be more like high school part two rather than going to college. Surrounding yourself with a new set of people can only be beneficial to you; they can challenge your ideas and/or beliefs which can make you more perceptive and open-minded, or they can bring you comfort when they share stories of their upbringing that are similar to yours.