When it comes to making college decisions, I think I can speak for the majority of us when I say that we want to go as far away from home as the scholarships will allow. However, sometimes God has a different plan and you end up going to the university that is 20 minutes from your house...

So how is this going to work? How will you ever enjoy the college experience when you still see your high school math teacher every time you go to Target? We all say that we crave freedom, but what we really need is a bit of separation and variation from the life we have lived the last eighteen years. I totally get it. My high school was five minutes from my house, my church is fifteen minutes, and anything else is within the same range. I saw college as an opportunity to break from my bubble and experience new people and cultures. Yet in the spring of my senior year, I got my scholarship acceptance letter to my university and I could not have been happier!

I haven’t forgotten my desire to travel and experience all of those things. Instead, I have figured out ways to make the most out of going to college in my hometown, at least until I have a chance to leave.

Something I learned is to look at where I live through the eyes of my out-of-town classmates. This makes me sound very much like Thoreau, but believe me it works. I used to laugh when they talked about how “cool” and “active” Mobile is. That is until it hit me: What is it that makes it so cool and active? From that point on, I was determined to seek out all of the unique and fun things that happen here that I had never appreciated before. When friends made plans to explore downtown, I went too! When they took pictures of the massive oaks and historic buildings, so did I! Not only have I discovered so many fun things to do and see, but I found a new appreciation and pride for where I live.

Another idea, and this may seem cliche, is to get involved on campus! I know first hand that my college is a hub of so many clubs and organizations for every culture, major, hobby, etc. So pick a few and try them out! I promise you that when you join a group of people who share your interests yet have such diverse backgrounds, you will no longer feel like you are trapped in a bubble. I am able to experience the world just in my classroom! Like how I said I wanted to see new people and new cultures? Well, the majority of my campus is foreign to Mobile, so they are all new! I have friends from other countries and even other cities. And another plus: you are bound to make a bunch of friends doing this who are sure to keep you busy!

That is the main thing I have learned: to stay busy. If you settle down into a routine you tend to get bored and feel trapped. Try doing something different whenever you can--visit a different coffee shop, go to a random school event (and if you’re scared of that like me, even better!), or get a group of friends and go downtown. And don’t forget that you could always find some time to take a little road trip on the weekends.

College is a stressful and cool time of life. You get to grow and learn about yourself and the world. I thought that I would be limiting myself by staying in Mobile for college, but it has actually been for the better. Along with friends from other places, I have reconnected with people I have spent my whole life with. My college helped me to meet my boyfriend which is a major plus. And most of all, God has used this whole “staying put” situation to help my soul stay put while He grows and matures me to later go out into the world. I know that it can be really hard to stay home during a time when every instinct tells you to fly, but I promise it is for the better. Make the best of things and don’t let it stop you from the one thing you want to do the most--live.