Senior communications studies major Christian A. Browne, of Sicklerville, NJ (Camden County) shares his perspective on the benefits of staying close to home to attend college.
There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home! While many people like Dorothy want to venture off to a place far away, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. And much like Dorothy learned, sometimes everything you need was right where you already were.
It really is true – even a university this close to home can feel miles away, like a whole new world, when you immerse yourself in it and make it your own. The Rowan I know today as a college student is not the same Rowan I experienced as a kid from field trips here, visiting the planetarium or seeing a play.
There are a lot of benefits of staying close to home for college, and I do not have FOMO. I’ve learned this myself after staying home to attend community college and transferring to Rowan University, which is only 20 minutes away from me. I commuted to community college, and I choose to continue to commute as I finish my degree at Rowan.
Here are 5 benefits that I have experienced!
1. Saving money
Let’s face the facts — college is expensive! When I was a freshman who first started out, I was blown away with the amount of money that was needed. From student fees to tuition, from textbooks (oh the sticker shock!) to technology needed for schoolwork, very quickly I became thankful that I didn’t go far away or go out of state for college. I can’t imagine how different my life would be if I started my adult life after college with huge student loans.
According to educationdata.org, “[for] students who are not residents of the state where they are attending school, the tuition and fees are frequently much higher,” which a lot of people may regret down the line. Instead, I went the other way and ended up saving a bunch of money while living in a room twice the size of my friends who live on campus.
2. Being In an Environment That You Know
If there’s any sports fan out there then they know how much home-field advantage can mean in life. For me, I have lived in the area for 10 years. I have explored a lot of local places in the area and know the hot food places, what to do for fun in the area and little places that anyone who is a local would know about. Many people who choose to go far away from college are often stuck being on campus (without a car!), limited to what the college or university offers – or exploring an area new to them that they know nothing about, that doesn’t feel like home, and might be not as a good environment compared to where they were.
For me, I still get to go to all of my favorite places anytime that I want. Also, a lot of assignments in college tend to be locally based, like interviewing somebody who works in your chosen field. If the person you are interacting with for an assignment is from the same area from you or knows where you live, then you have a huge advantage compared to others.
3. More Internships & Job Opportunities
Speaking about job opportunities, getting an internship and job opportunities is a lot easier when you live in the area. People tend to talk to others in the same local area, which is the beginning of your network. Also, many businesses don’t want to hire students who won’t be able to work year-round and need time off for winter break, spring break and summer.
For me, I got a ton of photography jobs because of my local networking, that I wouldn’t have been offered or able to do otherwise. (And knowing the area makes choosing photography locations much easier.)
If an employer is able to connect with you on a personal level such as living close to the area and having similar life experiences, it can make all the differences in the world for you! Also instead of worrying about where to go once you are back home looking for a job, you have work experience in the local area that you are going for.
For me, I am also able to keep my school year student worker job over the summer, since I can drive to the office. Since this is one of my first jobs in my field, this is a huge boost to my resume and will help me get my foot in the door later when I launch my career once I have that degree.
Being Closer to Family
Family is something I hold dear to my heart. I grew up in a small, and very close, family who lives mostly within my area of the Northeast. Being able to be around family and visit them at any time is huge in college. I can be a part of their everyday lives, like birthday parties and recitals, and not just be the cousin who they see on major holidays.
By staying close to home, I don’t miss those precious moments with my great aunt or little cousins who I love. I get to physically be there to see how they change and grow as people instead of being stuck far away looking through a screen and reading letters.
Having the Choice to Commute
Seeing your own doctors, dentist, and barbers that you have known for years – instead of finding new ones or waiting for appointments until you can visit home – is very grounding. Living close to home means that I can easily travel between home and school. Also unlike most freshmen who cannot bring cars with them on campus, I am not stuck on campus. I am free to go whenever I want to.
It also is very convenient in situations like when you have to grab like a birth certificate to be hired for a local internship, if you leave something that you need at home, or when the weather changes and you want different clothes. Instead of not being able to get that item that you need or traveling two hours away back home like some of my friends, I can just go in and out in out the house — saving a lot of time!
Staying at home was the best decision for me. There are a lot of benefits that many people don’t realize until they sit back and think about it. Hopefully for those staying close to home like me, take advantage of the perks of staying locally!
Story by:
Christian A. Browne, communication studies major