Choosing a college is one of the most important and most difficult decisions of one’s life. Everyone wants to pick the best university for academic, social, and personal reasons. We all want to please ourselves and our parents, which seems almost impossible sometimes.

1. You get a fresh start.
   • Getting away from the reality of what you grew up in is sometimes necessary to show you how the real world works. Going to a new place you’ve never been means nobody knows what you’ve done, good or bad.
2. You get introduced to a new culture.
   • A new place means new people with different backgrounds. College is a melting pot for people of all different ethnicities and backgrounds.
3. You get to make new friends, along with those at home.
   • I love my friends at home, but being 4 hours away isn’t the easiest way to live life.
4. You gain some independence.
   • Ever since I started working and got my license I thought I was mostly independent, but I wasn’t. I didn’t realize how much my mom still did for me, but now I’m pretty much on my own.
5. Seeing your family for the first time in a while is the best.
   • While I haven’t gone home just yet, in a few weeks I get to see my parents and I am so excited.
6. You have a reason to call everyone.
   • Being away from home has taught me that if I don’t talk to someone for a while, I start to not be myself. I call my grandmother almost every day just to get the 411 about what’s happening at home and to talk to my niece and nephew.
7. You get to show your new friends your hometown.
   • I can’t wait to be able to show my friend around to my favorite places instead of them showing me theirs because they’re closer.