There’s no place like home. What better time than college to apply this valuable life lesson? Today many students are faced with countless college opportunities. Ranging from those fortunate enough to gain scholarships that accelerate them to all parts of the country to those who wish to study abroad, the sky’s the limit when deciding on where to settle for the next four years of your education. So why would you ever settle for home? Contrary to popular belief, there are many benefits to staying in state for college.

Let’s be honest, the colleges surrounding your home are never as glamorous as the idea of experiencing a whole new life in a city far away. Oftentimes, many students dismiss the resources and grand opportunities right in front of them because of this fact. However, whether campus is two hours away or ten minutes, each college campus has its own environment. It is an atmosphere that most students find is dramatically different from their hometown despite the distance.

Furthermore, costs play a major role in utilizing the resources of your home state. Most states in the U.S. want to keep their students in their home state, resulting in cheaper tuition for in state residents and various scholarships and financial benefits for those who choose to stay in state. Not only are state universities more lenient financially on their in-state residents, but choosing to commit to a college close to home also saves students the financial burden of travel and living expenses.

Finally, many students claim they want to attend college far from home for the experience, not because they actually see themselves living in that new environment years down the road. Realistically, where you go to college plays a huge role in where students will eventually be hired and thus must live. For many student’s life, aspects such as being near their families is important, therefore it only makes sense to chose a college and ultimately a career that accommodates this value.

Staying in state for college was without question the best option for me. Having lacked any of the skills that stand out, I was denied the perks of massive scholarships and recruitments. Therefore utilizing my resources from home were a necessity to my college success. In state universities provided me with financial benefits such as allowing me to save on room and board costs by commuting, residential perks such as tuition deductions and provided all the comforts of home.

So let’s face it, twenty years from now no one is going to care where you got your undergraduate degree. So long as you are a responsible and talented individual you will be hired. So do not discredit the colleges closest to you as not being cool because they are original or feel the pressure to attend an Ivy League school due to its reputation.