Chickening Out

College Life
1

<p>It’s a scenario that’s been successfully completed thousands of times over all over the world, especially in the U.S.; a scenario that new high school graduates look forward to after their senior year of high school; a scenario that I think I’m going to chicken out from. The scenario I’m so afraid of is moving away for college.</p>

<p>I’m not so sure that I’m totally ready to move away from home. Leaving the comfort of knowing someone cares if I make it home safely or not is kind of depressing and scares me in its own respect. One of the things I find comfort in every day is knowing that at the end of the day, I can look forward to seeing family member’s smiling faces when they come home from school or work.</p>

<p>If I moved away for college, I’d be living alone all three years that I’d be there (I’ve already done the community college route, three years is the minimum after transferring). I just am not sure I’d be totally okay with spending most of my days alone and away from family. As much as I dislike my house and the attitudes of the people that live within it, it’s more comforting of a thought to know that someone will care if I’m not well than if I lived alone and the thought of my existence wouldn’t cross anyone’s mind for weeks at a time. That being said, I want to go ahead and ask the obvious… is leaving for college for everyone? I want to say that it’s not for me.</p>

<p>Staying here to complete a university degree would be extremely cost-effective and I’d graduate with lots of money to start a life following senior year of college. Going away for college would mean that most of my savings would be depleted and I’d only be coming out of the fire with a degree and not much else. Adversely, staying home would mean that I can’t get the undergrad degree that I’m aiming for and might have to go to grad school to accomplish. (My aimed degree is not offered at my hometown university)</p>

<p>To really sum up my predicament, day-by-day I’m starting to chicken out from what I’d so dreamt of back in high school: leaving my home to begin life anew in another city where no one knows me, primarily because I feel like I’ve made too many enemies and burned too many bridges here. Is what’s important is that I get a degree–something about 60% of the US doesn’t have? The degree I could get here at home is roughly equal in power but not monetary yield which is why I am considering the grad school route to get a master’s in my desired field. Even if I end up not liking it, I still come out with a bachelor’s degree and time wouldn’t have been wasted in getting it. I know at some point I am going to have to leave home, but I really don’t think that it’s for me right now. I’d get homesick and depressed pretty quick I think. I don’t know, but that’s what I feel like it’d be, considering my current mindset.</p>

<p>What’s your opinion?</p>

2

<p>You’re going to leave home eventually. And eventually, somewhat further down the road, you’re going to make a new home for yourself somewhere else. Maybe close to your old one, maybe not. But it’s going to happen, whether it starts now with you leaving for college or later when you leave for a job.</p>

<p>Almost everyone has some ambivalence about leaving home. Even if they don’t notice it at the time, they probably miss certain things once they’ve actually done it. But usually, they don’t need to worry that they won’t cross someone’s mind for weeks at a time. You’re moving away, but the fact of your existence is not going to be wiped from all time. Your parents and family may worry about you even more than they did when you lived with them. I know my mother is much more concerned about my safety when I’m farther from her than when I’m beside her. And, you can almost certainly call or email them, maybe even video chat to get to see their faces. Besides their concern for you, you’ll make friends at school. You might even start to feel at home at your college. You’ll have friends who care that you get home safely each night, and who hope that you smile throughout your days.</p>

<p>Financially, yes, you’ll likely save money on this degree if you go to a college you can commute to while living at home. But it sounds like you’ll need to go to grad school if you do that, whereas if you go away to college, you might be fine with just undergrad. Will the money you save by staying home now all be spent later on grad school?</p>

3

<p>I just want to address something you said that really stuck out to me. </p>

<p>“Going away for college would mean that most of my savings would be depleted and I’d only be coming out of the fire with a degree and not much else.”</p>

<p>Going to college is about much, much more than that piece of paper you get at the end of four (or five) years. It’s about the freedom, the responsibility, the new experiences, and the incredible growth that comes with it all. </p>

<p>I’m a rising junior in college right now, and these last two years have been the best years of my life. I’ve learned so much about myself and the world that I wouldn’t trade for anything. </p>

<p>Yes, you will miss your family, and they will miss you, but you won’t be alone. You’ll be surrounded by other people your age going through the same exact thing as you. Everyone is scared, and excited, and somewhat clueless. But that’s what makes it so awesome. </p>

<p>You can’t stay at home forever. You will never grow as a person if you don’t force yourself out of your comfort zone. There’s no such thing as the “right time.” If you’re waiting for the right time to leave home, you’ll probably end up living with your parents for the rest of your life. </p>

<p>Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith. No matter where you land, you can always make changes. The last thing you want is be stuck in one place forever. Explore, try new things, meet new people, and take advantage of every opportunity that you can. </p>

<p>This is the perfect time for you to redefine yourself and start taking action to becoming the person you want to be. What kind of changes do you need to make to become this person? </p>

<p>Once you learn to face your fears you will feel like you can take on the world. It’s an awesome feeling, and that’s what college is all about.</p>