Do you think It's better to go to a college close to home, or across the country?

Question

I am from Illinois and i am debating whether i should go to Arizona State or Iowa. I have been accepted to both but i can't amke up my mind. i hate winter, and i love Arizona State, but the distance is keeping me from going there. Should i just go and push myself or do you think i should take the safer route and go to Iowa?

Well it's now 7 years later... I went to Arizona State and going to college far away from home was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Answer 1

I was very similar to you. I'm from Illinois as well, a small town in the southern part. I had full scholarships to several schools within a 200 mile radius, and also a full scholarship to a college in Colorado. I, too, struggled with that decision when I was 17. I am now 26, and as I look back on the choices I have made up to this point, I feel that going away to Colorado was the best thing I could have ever done. It gave me the opportunity not only to see the other side of the country, but to find myself in a place where family is not so convenient. Don't get me wrong, I have always been super close to my family, and it was hard at times... But sometimes you just need that time and space to figure out what YOU want and need. I feel that if you stay close to home, you may always stay around there. At least the majority of my friends have done that. Since that year, I have lived all over the country, and have experienced so many wonderful things. But it also takes a special kind of person to just get out and do things like I did. Most of my friends will tell me that they could never have done what all I've done... Which I feel very proud for that. I've always been a very independent person as far as being secure and spiritual, so that played a key role in my "survival" over the past decade. As soon as I read your question, it brought me back to those days when I was in your shoes, and I'm so very thankful I made that decision at the time. And keep in mind, if you don't go away and experience that, you'll never know what it "coulda" been like. It's so much better to have lived it and to KNOW than to wonder. And look at the bright side, if you go away and you're miserable, you can always go back home. But it's always better to try than to wonder "what if". Good luck!!

Answer 2

that entirely depends on you. where do you think you see your self after college? I couldn't stand being more than a 4 hour drive from home. I am from the San Francisco area and went down to the central coast to Cal Poly SLO. I didn't have a lot of choices for school for my degree and that was the best choice for me.

My brother on the other hand really wanted to leave california and ended up in Indiana at Purdue. He really needed to get away from here.

You need to figure out what is best from both schools and decide if location or the school is more important. Why do you love about ASU? And the weather shouldn't be the reason you don't go to Iowa. It is freaking hot in Arizona and I would personally take your Illinois winters over an Arizona summer any day of the week.

Answer 3

It really depends on the type of person that you are...
Im a freshman in college and I came from a small upstate New York town to New York City. I expected a few changes but there truly was some major ones. If your really considering Arizona State, then you should definitely go out and visit it. I made that mistake of not visiting my school and I m regretting it now. I think 2 to 3 hours away is good. You want to be far enough from home so you can have privacy but close enough so you can go home and get what you need.

Answer 4

Think long-term, not short term. I kind of wish I went away to college It's your chance to basically chose to live anywhere in the country. When you're in the "real world," that becomes much harder to do.

But also think about where you want to ultimately wind up - do you want to stay in Iowa? Move to Arizona? Or something else? It will probably be easier to get a job closer to your school. I am also guessing the economy is better in Arizona.

If you can, I'd say go to Arizona. You're only a young, carefree college student once!