The first college I attended was twenty minutes from my house and I went home every weekend. I was there for a semester and then transferred to my local community college. After a year, they dropped my major and I was forced to find a new school to go to in order to finish my degree. At the time, I was studying to be an American Sign Language/English interpreter. There are very few schools that offer this major, so I had to choose a school pretty far from home. Yes, I was homesick for a while, but I was honestly the best decision I’ve ever made. Here are my top five reasons for going away for college.

1. Independence

Going to college in general allows you to become more independent than you would have been otherwise. When you’re so far from home, you have to do everything yourself, from cooking to laundry to daily chores and cleaning. Sure, I’ve asked my parents more times than I can count to make sure I do things correctly. For example, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve texted them to ask how long I should cook something, so I don’t get sick or poison my roommates, but now I’ve become more comfortable being on my own.

2. Figuring Out Who You Are

Going away for school gives you a fresh start. You’re able to really figure out who are and who you want to be. No one from my home town has really ever heard of the college I go to, so I don’t have to worry about awkward run ins with people I might not have cared for in high school. I’ve learned a lot about my self being six hours from home. I’ve learned that I’m not as much of a home-body as I thought I was or that long car rides, even alone, can be super cathartic. I’ve learned what I like and what I don’t and I have learned how to deal with conflict and how to plan my life somewhat effectively. Most of all, I’ve learned that even though I am far away and somewhat independent, I still love my family and they still love me.

3. New Experiences

When I first went away to school, I was super homesick. I didn’t want to leave my room or participate in activities on campus. I just wanted to go to class and go back to my room because that was what I was used to doing when I went to a community college. However, I was forced to leave my comfort zone more than once and some pretty awesome things have happened as a result. I’ve met so many new people and done some pretty cool things that I never would have done if I didn’t get outside of my comfort zone and left home for school.

4. Making A Home Away From Home

Being involved on campus was one of the best things I could have done for myself. Yes, sometimes it’s super stressful being involved in so much, but I know that I always have people to turn to. I have such a close relationship with my work-study boss that she is like my mom away from home. I have become so close with an amazing group of people being involved as a New Student Mentor that I know I’m able to turn to them with anything. I have spent so many hours working with the executive board of the clubs I am apart of that we are able to just talk about anything with out it being awkward. Honestly, I don’t know where I would be with out these people in my life.

5. Going Home

I think going away for school makes going home that much more special. I have friends who are able to go home on the weekends, or take a day trip to get something from home, but I don’t have that luxury. I have to make plans in advance to be able to go home, and even then I would leave school Friday afternoon and be back at school by Sunday night. The times that I do get to go home are ones that I cherish. Sure, my brother will send me pictures of him and the cats when I’m away, or I can FaceTime my parents, but that doesn’t compare to getting to go home and see them in person. I love how happy it makes my dogs when I walk through the door, or just getting a hug from my mom after so many weeks away. Not only that but being able to see my friends who live down the block, even just for a few hours, is exactly what I need sometimes. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, and that is exactly how I feel about home.