Being an Out-of-State Student
| Published 12/10/04

Graphic by: Ande Hearn

Being an out-of-state student here at Radford has its benefits and drawbacks. I came to school here knowing only one person, who was also my roommate during freshman year. We had been friends since daycare, but both had gone to different high schools.

I would have rather gone to a school in Maryland, but being that I just always seem to find a way to be difficult, I decided that the only school I wanted to attend would cost thousands more dollars every year.

The ride to school is five hours, which -- for someone who gets headaches from being in a car for five minutes -- is quite a while. Being in my junior year, I have finally gotten used to the long drive. It costs me an obscene amount of money to get to school and back.  Even though it takes basically an entire day to get here and unpack, but I would rather go to Radford than any of the Maryland schools.

I like the fact that I am so far away from everything at home, and I don't have to deal with home stuff and school at the same time. The most annoying thing is that I can't just go home whenever I want. I rarely get to see any of my friends from home, not to mention my family. I can't just leave and get out of Radford when I need a break, and even with the benefits of instant messenger, I rarely get to talk to my best friend.

I can say that going to an out-of-state school has made me grow as a person. I had to become independent whether I wanted to or not. I learned that it is possible for me to take care of myself and do my own grocery shopping, cooking (when I feel like it), and laundry. Being so far away from home gave me the chance to find what I can handle, which I'm sure everyone else who is far away from home can agree.