If there is anything I have learned over the last two decades of my existence, it is that life can almost be considered a game of chance. Although guidelines exist to help an individual find their full potential and reach what many call the “perfect life,” there is still no guarantee that the success you find will be the exact outcome discussed in your research. In some cases, you may find something better than what was given to you. So, what does that have to do with attending college?

Almost a year and a half has passed since I was in a classroom making the decision on what school I wanted to attend after I graduated. As close friends and colleagues began filling out their applications and sending them off to their desired locations, most in-state, I was still stuck on the decision of where I wanted to continue my education. In fact, only a few weeks before did I change my desired major from veterinary sciences to something more in tune with writing and public speaking. Yet, there was one thing I was certain of. I did not want to attend a school in my home state. It was in that moment of decision making that I took one of the biggest chances of my life and submitted only one application to a school that was over 300 miles away.

Yes, you read that correctly, only one application. To this day, I have not regretted that decision. Of course, there was the chance that I would not be accepted into the program or would be unable to attend, but my heart was set on the location I chose.

When I finally received my acceptance letter, the sun gained a fierce competitor with the way I glowed. I was proud of myself, not only for being accepted into a school I knew I would love but for also taking a path not many others ventured to.

Although there are some setbacks of being an out-of-state student, like the spike in tuition rates and the competition that follows with scholarships for those that reside in other areas, the number of positives I have experienced significantly surpasses the negatives (especially when you make an amazing playlist to jam out to while you’re driving across state lines).

Through being an out-of-state student, I have had the opportunity to experience a whole new culture of people and places overwhelmingly different from the small town that I grew up in. With each new sight that I was able to soak in, I was reminded that this world is so much bigger than myself, and it only fueled my desire to explore what the rest of the world had to offer. Also, being a considerable distance from home allowed me to gain a greater understanding of responsibility and independence.

Yet, one of the top reasons I chose to attend a school so far away from home was to obtain personal growth in a way that staying in-state would have limited me to. I wanted something that would not only push my level of comfort but expand far beyond the reach of everything I was familiar with. Although the first few weeks away from home were gut-wrenching, I knew that by the end I would be extremely thankful to have had the opportunity, and that thought has proved itself to be true for every single moment.