Pros and Cons of Leaving Hometown for College

Moving away from home for college seems exciting but frightening. And it’s justified – you are about to face drastic changes in your life which is always not easy. Let’s take a look at the ups and downs, pros and cons, things no one told you about, and different small details of leaving home for college.

Comfort or Changes

When you make a decision to leave home, it inevitably will bring discomfort and second thoughts. Should you do this? Is it going to be hard? Will you be able to do that? All these things might seem too frightening at the beginning but only with some positive thinking you can make the right choice. 

If you are too afraid to lose the comfort of your current life, it’s better to not force yourself. Otherwise, you can put yourself through a tough and stressful period. Though the majority of students adjust to the situation in the new place and with a new routine, it’s important to mention the ones who snap and return back home because of their anxiety.

The situation of moving away for college is both easy and hard – it might not be that big of a deal for someone, while others will find it too stressful to continue. That’s why it’s important to rely on your personal traits and the ability to adjust.

On the other hand, it’s almost impossible to grow as a person and as a professional, if you don’t put yourself through challenges. The comfort that you are so used to might be the cage that limits your abilities and makes it harder to achieve the results that you are dreaming of. So, like it’s impossible to make an omelet without breaking an egg, it’s also impossible to learn and achieve if you don’t try. Some degrees are only available in colleges out of state, so why miss your chance to get the education you need for your dream job?

So, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of leaving home for college in order for you to have a chance to make the right choice and be ready for what is coming up.

Pro: You Will Grow as a Person

By leaving your house to live and study by yourself, you go through a lot of personal changes. There suddenly are a lot of things that you need to take responsibility for, become an adult who takes care of yourself, your schedule, finances, and health. So, it’s a real-life experience that many people get for the first time when they get into college. 

You will also have an opportunity to improve your skills or get new ones in various spheres of life, especially when it comes to time management or teamwork, budgeting, cooking, cleaning, etc. No matter what your college experience will be, it will require you to grow as a person and become a better version of yourself. 

Con: You Will Miss Your Home

Even if you don’t have the best relationship with your family, leaving a place where you know a lot of people and created connections will probably be difficult. Not everyone is comfortable and thirsty for changes – the majority of people view them as stress. And that’s totally fine, and that’s why there are so many tips from professionals and therapists about how it’s important to go out of your comfort zone. But such a process can drastically vary for different people.

For example, some students get into a perfectly great college, with lots of same-minded peers and lots of opportunities to make new friends. While others get into rather hostile environments with a stressful courseload that might play with your nerve. Both of these experiences might be viewed as “exiting a comfort zone” but how different they are at the same time. 

So, leaving your home is hard but it surely affects people differently. Be ready to experience some homesickness for the first month or two – if you are mentally prepared, it’s easier to survive through this period and move on with your studies, social life, and the whole adjusting process.

Pro: You Will Get to Make New Friends

New place – new people. Getting into a new environment will surely provide you with a chance to meet new people with different views, interests, and talents. It’s important to get to know people who are not like you as well as to make new friends, socialize, and just have fun.

Con: You Will Have to Adjust to New People Around

So, being around new people is great but it also makes you adjust to a new reality and new environment. And while this alone might not be something bad, it might also be stressful when you don’t have any friends in there and no one to talk to for some time. Chances are you feel lonely, especially at the beginning of your college. 

It is actually pretty common and allows you to adjust to the new place and focus on your studies. But if meeting new people makes you anxious, it might be an inconvenience that you will have to deal with.

Pro: You Will Get Lots of Opportunities

Moving to a new place brings a lot of new opportunities, especially if you move to a bigger city. It might be a great opportunity to make new connections, find an internship, start your career, travel, and experience new emotions. All of that is the part of seeing the world in a different way – from a perspective where many doors are open for you. You just need to grab your chance and find what you really enjoy.

Con: You Will Have to Change Your Lifestyle

Leaving your home for college also means that you will surely have to change your lifestyle. We are talking about being responsible for your finances and making money yourself, being more cautious about your spending, being responsible for waking up at the right time, and forcing yourself to go the classes, clean, and wash your clothes.

All in all, it means that some things that your family is doing for you will not be your own responsibility. You will be the only one to blame if you slept through your alarm, and the only one to clean your space even if you are used to your mom doing it for you. So, be sure to get mentally prepared for this responsibility and work on your self-discipline. It’s better to start doing it early before you move away.

Final Thoughts

Moving away is surely another milestone in everyone’s life. And it’s not for everyone. You need to have some courage and self-belief in order to do that but the outcome is going to be great. Missing your chance is painful so think twice before you make a choice.