Being a freshman is hard, whether it is a freshman in high school or a freshman in college. That first day is full of nervously finding classes and accidentally bumping into upperclassmen, trying to navigate through the social maze that lies in front of you and, to top it off,  your social life is fluid, with no direction, since you hardly know anyone. Now, let’s add all of this to being in a different state, or maybe a different country! Even though moving away will undoubtedly add an extra layer of stress, it just may lead to greater personal growth.

  For starters, going away to college forces a person to grow into the person they might not have become if he/she stayed in the comfortable confines of the family home. In The Patch, Columnist Natasha Scott wrote, “The greatest enemy to your human potential is your comfort zone”(patch.com). Yes, it can be difficult at times to step into the vast unknown, but after that initial step is taken, the rest will come naturally. This is a possibility for people who are staying in state, but also leaving San Diego.  Just giving a student that extra nudge they need to “leave the nest” and create his/her own “nest” may lead to positive outcomes in a student’s future.

  Moving away may mean moving up the coast. Author Liz Golden states, “It gave me the ability to be far enough from home to have some separation but also, if I really had to deal with something at home, I could.” This can be the case for many students, especially from UC High, because so many of the seniors are staying in state for college.  Many students find themselves up the coast a piece, at places like UCLA or Cal Poly.

 In contrast, Senior Alisa McRee is going to Tel Aviv for college at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. McRee stated, “I wanted to go away because I have lived in San Diego my whole life…. I wanted to experience a different culture. And I also knew I could always come back. I also don’t want to live my whole life depending on my parents.” This is a fabulous opportunity that will surely greatly alter McRee’s life in ways that are not yet clear.

  In addition, leaving your hometown can lead to great connections within an industry. Often times people say connections are everything. In The Odyssey, Columnist Emily Godin wrote, “Moving away for college can connect you with a wider variety of employers, professors, and advisors who can provide you with more guidance and experience. Building relationships with these people can provide a huge advantage when applying to internships and jobs” (odessey.com). The networking opportunities may be exponential, even if it’s just a few towns away.

   However great leaving San Diego may be, some people might not be able to afford it or might not even want to leave — which is understandable, but it could still be good to take a semester abroad if the opportunity presents itself. Many people take a semester abroad and believe that is greatly expands their horizons.

   So yes, going away for college includes homesickness and not seeing one’s hometown friends. In addition, the students going out of state might, dare I say, miss their moms and dads, but sometimes that extra leap is all one needs to “find oneself.” I know this is a tacky phrase that is dispersed amongst horoscopes and Chinese fortune cookies, but at the end of the day, college is the optimum time to find the new you.