You can see the light at the end of the tunnel — you’re almost done with high school. Forever. Now’s your moment of truth: do you assert your soon-to-come adult independence by getting as far away as you can from everything you know, or do you stay in town? A change of scenery might be nice, but sticking close to home has some awesome advantages.
You’ll Save Cash
You might think that in-state tuition is your biggest cost-cutter when it comes to higher education. That’s legit. But you may not have thought about some of the other ways you can rack up expenses in college. For one thing, rent prices for on-campus housing are insane, and you’ll save a ton if you can live with family. Anyone who has gone to college far away can tell you that flights home for the holidays are pricey, not to mention stressful. As for food, even Dad’s weirdest omelet experiments are better than anything you’ll get at the Caf, and they’re definitely cheaper. Saving some dollars will help you be more present for a full course load and lit social life.
You Know Your City
There’s lots to love about Boston, Philadelphia and New York. You’ve grown up riding rails, so you won’t have to put yourself through the harrowing ordeal of learning a new public transit system. Plus, your new pals from out of town will see you as a regional wizard once they know they can count on you for flawless directions without (immediately) consulting your smartphone. You’ve spent your whole life going to your favorite team’s games — not only will you get to keep seeing them play at home, you might make fans of your college friends. And remember that movie theater by your house with the gummy seats? Yeah, you can save your chums from a sticky situation with peerless “I grew up here” know-how.
Millennials… millennials everywhere
According to the Boston Redevelopment Authority, “Boston has a very large share of its population in the 20-34 year old age cohort, the highest in the country among all major cities.” The Pew Charitable Trusts say, “[Philadelphia’s] population of 20- to 34-year-olds increased by about 100,000 from 2006 through 2012, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. When the city’s overall population is divided into age groups of five years each, the 25- to 29-year-olds and 20- to 24-year-olds are by far the largest.” In New York? o The Washington Post’s report on the New York City Comptroller’s 2016 economic report on millennials, “about three percent of U.S. millennials, defined in the report as those born between 1985 and 1996, live in New York.”
If you’re worried that your mingling pool is limited to the people you knew in high school, don’t be. There are plenty of newly minted adults around to befriend and date.
You’re an adult now, so the decision is yours when it comes to the choice between staying in town and leaving for college. But don’t jump to a hasty conclusion just because you think it might be cool to finally get some space from your parents! The benefits of sticking around deserve their fair shake, and getting Mom to stop nagging you to stay close by isn’t the only one.
