Moving from Chicago to San Diego at 18 years old?

Question

I am 16 years old now and I am going to college in just two years. I live in the suburbs of Chicago now but I've wanted to move to San Diego for as long as I can remember. College seems like the perfect chance. I have two years to make this decision and I want to make the right one. I can either stay here and go to college, living at home or move to san diego alone, at 18 years old and do something for me for once. I have done some research about San Diego and the one thing that I have learned is how expensive it is. So I guess my overall questions are...
A.) Is leaving my family at such a young age to go live across the country worth it?
and
B.) What is the least expensive yet nice area for a college girl to afford? I am going to find a roommate so I'm not planning on living alone.

Thanks =)

Answer 1

Might be a good idea to ignore Alex's post above; from his spelling and grammar he obviously is not familiar with college life in San Diego...or elsewhere!

I came to San Diego to go to college the week after my 18th birthday and am still here over 30 years later. Of course, no place is right for everyone, but San Diego has a lot going for it. The beaches are great, the weather's great, and people from all over come here; if you are not frightened by people who are different from you it's nice to be exposed to different people and different ways of life. There's the benefit of city life without it being "big city". If you want "big city" Los Angeles is 2 hours drive away and would meet all those needs. Skiing is 2 hours drive away at Big Bear; hiking in the mountains about an hour away at Palomar or the Cuyamacas. Desert is 2 hours away in Anza Borrego. Lots of museums in one of the best municipal parks in the country, Balboa Park. And Mexico is only an hour's drive away (fortunately most people here are not racist against Mexicans like the earlier poster).

I agree that living in the dorm's a good idea for the first year; you get to meet lots of people that way and you'll probably end up meeting someone(s) you'll want to move out with for the following year. That's what I did. I agree that UCSD, SDSU, USD would be the places to look into...all are great schools with a lot of options both socially and academically.

Whether you are the type to get homesick or not I can't say. I know I was ready to leave home when I left but you might be a different story. At least now there are cell phones so if you have one with lots of minutes each month then you can talk often with friends and family back home.

One thing to keep in mind though...although it is possible to live here without having a car it's not the best community to be in to use public transportation. It's good for some things but limited in other ways. So by your second year in San Diego (assuming you've moved out of the dorm by then) you are going to want to own a car. It's better if you have one the first year as well.

Housing here is expensive but students always find a way to work that out; you would too.

Don't worry about making the "wrong decision" here; if you don't like it you can always move/transfer to another school.

Answer 2

There are many of passions to pursue in San Diego and this hotelbye is the place to start finds what San Diego has to offer. In the San Diego vacation you'll stage outside of your comfort zone and you will explore new activities while you're here and you might only discover that acquiring a brand new goal can be an experience in itself. One of the places should see from San Diego is Balboa Park. This park has around a 1400 acre and here you can find historic buildings, numerous museums, gardens, and green space. The park was designed for the Panama California Exhibition of 1915-1916. The predominant architecture is Spanish-Mexican design, low level structures that blend in with the organic surroundings. Among the highlights of the park will be the Botanical Gardens and lily pool, the Museum of Man, the Museum of Natural History, the San Diego Museum of Art, and the popular San Diego Zoo. Even though you never go into a developing the park is just a lovely place.

Answer 3

USD is a very homogenous campus with dorms. If you lived there you wouldn't have to find a place to live but it is expensive! It's a private Catholic school hence the high tuition but it's a very good school and if you're from out of state you would have to pay out of state tuition fees for UCSD or San Diego State anyway. The University of San Diego's campus is the most beautiful college campus I have ever seen and it's located on the top of a hill overlooking the ocean. You would probably like it there, but be warned that there are way more girls attending then boys. It's like 65% women for some reason. I guess they don't call it the University of Spoiled Daughters for nothing. Good luck. The weather is wonderful here.

Answer 4

Leaving at such a young age is not good but it isn't bad San Diego is a wonderful city there is always something to do. There are a few thing i can say , if you haven't been to San Diego try and take a trip there before moving. You can also try going to a community college not in San Diego but maybe in Point Loma, Grossmount , Chula Vista or Spring Valley. I lived in El Cajon, all the cities are just a few miles drive to downtown San Diego. I plane on Moving back to San Diego So you are alone. Good Luck.

Answer 5

most people who leave for college do it at that age, at least ones that go straight to a four year school right after high school. I'm originally from the SF Bay Area and came here at 18 for school six years ago and decided to stay after graduating b/c I love this place so much. Granted the Bay Area is a lot closer to SD than Chicago but it's still almost 500 miles away and a good 7-8 hour drive.

YOu should do it just for the experiance. When I applied to school I didn't apply anywhere in Northern CA or near the Bay Area b/c I wanted to experiance something new. Even though it's the same state, CA is a very big state and there are noticeable differences between the northern and southern parts. College is great and you meet so many new people and just experiance so many new things. You'll have a lot more freedom going to school out here and it will be a nice change from what you are used to. If you live at home and go to school you might not get the same experiance. You should think about living in the dorms your freshman year in school b/c that's the best way to meet new people. I definately would go for it and come out here if you are able to and your parents support it, it will be a great experiance and if it's not for you, you can always go back after the first year.

There are many cheaper areas of SD but it all depends on what college you are going to attend. The major universities are UC San Diego, San Diego State University, University of San Diego, and CA State University at San Marcos. UCSD being the hardest to get into and most prestigious, SDSU is somewhat difficult to get into for a state school and it's also a big party school. USD is private and not too selective I think. CSU San Marcos is pretty easy to get into bu it's way up in Northern San Diego County and away from the best parts of SD. If you have an idea on what school you might attend then I can suggest some places. But either way, you want to be on campus freshman year and live in the dorms, it's the best way to meet people and it's cheaper than off campus. And once you are down here i;m sure you will figure out what areas are cheapest and close to your school to live in for your 2nd year.

YOu still got some time to think about it but I think it will be a good move if you have been wanting to come out here for so long and you've done all your research so you know what to expect. But look into living on campus in a dorm freshman year. anyways, good luck college is great!

Answer 6

If you are really tight with your family stay around them, but if you want to really go out on your own then by all means do it. The only thing is, is that yes San Diego is very expensive, but to jump around that live on campus for your first year or so, that will cut back the prices and you could save up. Have you ever been to San Diego? If not you should go and check it out first, I went a few months ago and it was amazing, I'm from Ohio. Just look at the areas and think if it is truly something you want to do. I would really go for living on campus at first, its your best bet to cutting cost of living down. (PS. I love Chicago, its one of my fave cities along with San Diego) Best of luck and I hope everything goes the way you want it! Enjoy high school while it last!

Answer 7

Many students 'move away alone' for college. There are many who will move further than you've considered. One friend's daughter moved to the University of Hawaii. Another's son went to Boston College.

My daughter just graduated from UCSD and spent the first 2 years in the dorms. The costs there were reasonable. After that, she lived in off-campus apartments with 4 other people. There were many apartment complexes served by the University shuttlebus.

I can't blame you for looking at SD, as it's a beautiful and active area. Don't forget to look at the surfing classes. :)

Answer 8

Miss at your age of 16 you are a bit too early to be traveling around even in the town of chicago.The thing to do is finish college first then move out to san diego and the world,will roll out the red carpet for you when you reach the age of 18 then we can all say at 18 you are a woman and San Diego is yours to enjoy and travel around in.

Answer 9

San Diego State or The University of SoCal at San Diego. La Jolla is expensive. Living by yourself is expensive. Dorms and sororities are generally quite a bit less expensive so check it out carefully and remember. Part of college is growing socially as well as academically. Dorms or Sororities give you the opportunity to meet new people and see how you get along.
State is a party school with good sports teams and an inland location. the uni is near the beach and in a nicer neighborhood. Much cheaper to go to state. Your choice.

Answer 10

\Pt. Loma Nazarene University is a very affordably priced private university in San Diego. It has an awesome campus with incredible views of the Pacific Ocean.