Making the decision to attend an out-of-state university can prove to be a difficult one. Are you willing to leave your friends and family behind in order to attend the university of your dreams? What if you are eager to leave home but halfway through the semester you find yourself missing everything you know and love? The decision to leave home cannot be immediately undone.
Living only 30 miles away from campus, I have the ability to see my family frequently. If I want to go home and escape for a day, I can. Unfortunately, out-of-state students do not have this luxury.
Moving away from home to another state is a huge step, especially at a young age. According to ASU News, about 14,700 undergraduate students (or 20 percent) are out-of-state. 3,300 of those students are freshman.
Luckily, with Skype, social media and text messaging, keeping in touch with friends and family is not as difficult as it was in the past.
Patrick Burtt, an American Indian studies and justice studies junior from Dresslerville, Nev., uses technology to communicate with his friends and family on a daily basis. Burtt transferred to ASU from Sierra Nevada College to study within the American Indian Studies program.
“I am in daily contact with my friends and family whether through phone calls, text messages, emails, and even Facebook,” Burtt said.
However, no amount of technology can ever replace the feeling of being at home.
“I do get homesick, especially during the upcoming months because of the approaching holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving,” Burtt said.
Because Burtt’s birthday is in the middle of October, he is unable to celebrate with his friends and family. Being away from his family on his birthday is difficult for him.
Making extensive trips home can be extremely costly and most out-of-state students tend to only go home during the holidays, or even less frequently than that.
“Because of the 18 credit hours I take and my involvement with several clubs and organizations on campus, I rarely have the opportunity to take a trip home,” Burtt said.
Burtt only goes home during winter break and the three months of summer. How does Burtt deal with being away from home the majority of the year?
“As a second year student at ASU I have established a close network of friends so the effects have become less severe,” Burtt said.
According to EverydayHealth.com, many out-of-state students experience homesickness during their first year of college. It is best to acknowledge the fact and work on ways to deal with being away from home.
Burtt believes that the best way to cope with being away from home is to make friends and be active on campus. This can definitely ease the pain that comes with the long periods of separation.
It’s no doubt that being away from home is a huge challenge. While nothing can replace the feeling of being at home, going to an out-of-state university is not a horrible decision. Not only are you exposed to a new environment, you get to make new friends and experience another part of the country. What could be better than that?
Reach the columnist at agales@asu.edu
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