So I'm currently going to school in Chicago, which is a HUGE difference from Kentucky. I love living here and it's so much more fun than Kentucky. Throughout my young life, I almost never felt like I fit in anywhere. I didn't have a true childhood best friend nor did I have a good stable friend group until my later years of high school. I was always the black sheep of my class, I didn't really fit in but people generally liked me.

When college decision time came around, I was stuck between three choices; University of Kentucky, Georgia State University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. I compared the upsides and the downsides of going to these schools. The upside to UofK is the tuition, since it is in-state. The downside to going there was that about half the people in my graduating class were intending to go there, and I did NOT want to go through another four years of high school with the same faces. The ups and downs for GSU and UIC were vice versa, new faces and a new state of mind but I have to deal with out-of-state tuition.

I could not even mentally and emotionally stand to go through another four years of being absolutely miserable and lonely, so I pleaded to my mom to let me go out of state. As tough as it was for her (financially and emotionally), she let me go, and I could never be more grateful for her decision, her, and my family for helping me get to college.

I ended up choosing UIC because it was only slightly cheaper than GSU. For the first week, I often daydreamed about what would've happened if I went to GSU instead, but nevertheless, I'm here. I found myself fitting in with a new crowd faster than I would have thought. Coming from a majority white high school, I found the diversity here quite refreshing. Even though I did not know a single person besides my roommate (sort of), I felt like I was one with everyone and that I actually belonged here. I doubt that I would have never been this happy at UofK. I've made so many new friendships that I can see becoming lifelong.

If you're in high school and college searching or if you're looking to transfer, consider out of state. Trust me, the tuition is so worth it.