For years I said I wanted to move as far away from home as possible. When I finally got the opportunity to move away for college, I started to realize that maybe I didn't want to move four states away to some random college in the middle of nowhere. After narrowing down my options to two colleges, both of which were 30-45 minutes away from my house, I started to realize the benefits of only being a few miles away but it wasn't until I moved to the University of West Georgia that I truly understood what a good decision I had made.
1. Laundry
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You never truly understand how many outfits you go through until it costs you $1.50 just to wash one tiny load of clothes. Living close to home gives me the option to go home every weekend or so and do all of my laundry.
2. In-State Tuition
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In-state tuition may seem like a given here but it is detrimental to college life as we know it. Especially in Georgia, when moving far away from home also means losing the HOPE Grant.
3. Leaving Things At Home
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Because I live so close to home, I was able to leave anything that wasn't necessary behind. Meaning, since I don't need my sandals right now, I can leave them in my closet at home and come get them when things start getting warm, rather than bringing them with me now and having them take up space in my dorm.
4. Seeing Family
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Living close to home gives me the opportunity to go home and see my family as much as I like. I live with my great-grandmother, so I always feel the need to go cherish the time with her that I have. It also keeps me from getting homesick.
5. Emergencies
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I always have the comfort in knowing that if anything happens to me or any of my family, they're right there, 35 minutes away.
6. Easy to hang out with old friends
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Being close to home also means being close to my alma mater, meaning that I can go hang out with my friends from high school just about any time. Good times don't stop after graduation, they've only just begun.
7. Saving money
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I can go home any night and have a home-cooked meal (which also saves me from having college cafeteria food) and hang out with my family, then go back to my college and it won't even take ¼ of a tank of gas. Going home costs me about $10, which is great considering my position as a broke college student.
8. Distance
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This point does seem kind of redundant, but the fact that I hear so many people close to holidays complain about their long drive home does make me feel great about the fact that I only have to hit one highway for thirty minutes and be back home.
