Like most other high school seniors, I originally thought that I wanted to move away for college. I thought I wanted to leave my hometown and experience something completely new. While most people do this and love it, I am thankful I chose to stay close to home.
1. My mama is 15 minutes away.
I would never have considered myself to be a mama's girl in high school. Yes, I absolutely love my mom, but when I went on trips, I wouldn't be the one getting homesick. In the two weeks I have been in college, I have called my mom so much she probably sighs a little when she sees my name pop up. I am thankful that she is just 15 minutes down the road and can eat lunch with me or set up my printer in my dorm room when she gets off of work. I definitely could not imagine not being able to go see her whenever I need to.
2. I am familiar with the area.
I definitely like to feel comfortable where I am, and I like to have an idea of the ins and outs of a place. Oxford is the closest place to my hometown that has Wal-Mart, a Kroger, movie theaters, a bowling alley, multiple restaurants, and other forms of entertainment.
I grew up coming to Oxford quite often, so I was already very familiar with the area before I moved here. This has helped me show some of my friends that don't know their way around Oxford some of the local places and has also helped me feel more comfortable adapting to college life.
3. My college friends and high school friends can hang out together.
I was very fortunate to have made a great group of friends in high school. I knew that if I moved away to college, leaving them would be one of the hardest parts. In the two weeks I have been in college, my high school friends have gotten to meet a few of my new college friends because we have so many opportunities to hang out together.
4. A home cooked meal is just a call away.
I may be the only one, but after about a week of processed food or take out, I start to feel crummy. I had only been in college for three days when I started texting my mom and dad asking them if they could cook me and my roommate a home cooked meal that Friday night. Of course, my parents agreed. So after a week of mac & cheese and cereal and pizza, my roommate and I got to enjoy roast, mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas, and rolls.
5. I can still enjoy my favorite activities.
I never really thought about not being able to do some of my favorite things when I got to college. I always assumed that any college I chose would offer me the same type of activities. However, since I chose to stay close to home, the two weekends I have been in college I have been able to go home to shoot skeet and play cards with my family. I got to bring my roommate along, so it was a fun night that I would not have gotten to experience if I lived far from home.
6. I did not have to have a long distance relationship.
Some people do not believe that you should take a significant other to college, but I would disagree. If you truly love them and know that you want them in your life, then why break up just because you are going to college? I was lucky because instead of having a long distance relationship because of college, we actually got closer. Will lives in my college town, so now I can meet him for lunch in between classes or he can come to my dorm for a movie night. If I would have moved away, we would have had to deal with long distance.
7. I can be at home for every holiday.
I have met some friends in college that live all the way across the country. Because of this, they won't get to go home until Christmas. I could not imagine not seeing my family for four months. I am thankful that I get the opportunity to be home for every holiday, including birthday dinners.
8. I don't have to miss out on my cousins' lives.
I have grown up next to two of my younger cousins. I have been blessed to watch them grow and hang out with them whenever I want to. If I had gone far for college, I would have had to miss out on some soccer games or archery matches or after school Wii games. I can drive home and see them and watch their games or play at our grandmother's house together.
9. I'm far enough away to be my own person but close enough to remember who I am.
It's very common for when young adults go off to college that they decide to become "wild" and basically forget what their parents have taught them within the last 18 years. I have always known that I did not want to become one of these wild college students. However, living out of my hometown has allowed me to establish myself and get out of the shadows of my parents, along with being reminded who I am and how I was raised because home is so close.
10. My family is there to support me.
If I had moved far away for college, my family could not have been as involved with my life. Where this may sound appealing to some individuals, I am a family oriented person, so I enjoy the fact that they can come to football games, and dinners, and we can still go to movies together. Having my family close to me is something I am so thankful for.
Many college students are glad they chose to move far away from their hometown. I am thankful for staying close to home and getting to experience the college life but still have the ability to see my family and friends from my hometown.
