It is the dream of many upcoming high school graduates to leave their home and start their own independent life. However, many more than usual will be making the choice to remain close to home when they go to college. They are doing this in larger numbers for a variety of reasons:
Economics
Remaining close to home is a huge economic benefit to the recent high school graduate. He or she will be able to potentially remain living at home depending on the distance from the school and the willingness of the parents to take care of them. Therefore, the student could save on the room and board costs that he or she would have to pay for if they are allowed to stay.
There are other hidden benefits in this such as not having to spend money on things like food and more. This is all dependent on what the parents decide to continue paying for of course, but the average student who lives at home will save money over the student who decides to move away.
Social Support
Staying at home provides the benefit of social support when it comes to dealing with certain issues that may come up throughout the course of university life. This is not to say that the parents of a student should “baby” them, but there are some benefits to having parents close by who can relate to the issues that you are going through and try to help you out with them. When this is the case, students are able to enjoy a more full understanding of the emotions that they are experiencing as a result of certain situations.
Remaining Close To Friends
Friends are everything to some students. More of the people they went to high school with are going to go to the local schools, and that means that the networks that they have set up are going to remain intact when they go to the local schools. It is possible to remain friends with someone from another school but the distance makes it much more difficult. If the current group of friends a graduate has is very important to him or her, then going to the local school to keep those friends may be worth it. For some it may not.
Going local is not for everyone, but there are numerous benefits to consider. Before making any final decisions about college, make sure you weigh your local options. You could potentially do this by using a college finder service online.