College and university can be a new and exciting opportunity for individuals to step into adulthood and leave the memories of high school in the past. Current seniors have all decided where and what they will be pursuing post-high school: whether it be college, armed forces, entrance into the workforce, or another unique path.

In choosing a post-secondary education, students often look at factors such as, but not limited to: community, specific or unique majors, cost, alumni ties, scenery and the availability of scholarships.

In today’s day and age, it is quite common for incoming college students to pick colleges far away from their families or their high schools. Many of these colleges provide excellent and specialized opportunities that others in their home states do not provide. Also, some colleges may offer a welcoming community for specific groups of students that might not have a strong community back home, making up for their distance from the student’s home. However, frankly speaking, it is ridiculous for students to attend universities on the sole basis that they want to “get away from their parents.”

Pursuing a higher education is the main goal that anyone who plans on going to college should seek to fulfill, not a way to be liberated from parents. The lengths that young adults go to just to get away from their parents are truly absurd.

Whether it be spending thousands upon thousands of dollars more just to go to school out of state or traveling halfway across the world to chase “freedom” and independence, students often will go overboard in the attempt of leaving their parents behind and evading parental supervision.

Instead of trying to evade one’s relationship, individuals should seek to better their relationship. Don’t get me wrong, experiencing college’s freedom is enticing, but it should not dictate your entire decision.

On a personal note, one of my close friends, who chose to remain anonymous, left home for her first semester of college, and quickly came back for the spring semester at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, so that she could be closer to home.

She said, “I love to go home to my church every Sunday and see my close friends in the Twin Cities […] Also, I find it more challenging academically [than her previous school].”

This just goes to show that staying close to home when making a college decision can have its upsides.

At the end of the day, it is not worth the extra money and stress to go out of state simply to get away from your home life. If you choose to leave the state for higher education, make sure you are leaving the state on good terms and for the right reasons.