AM2

Going to School Far Away College is a time when all children leave their homes and take four years to explore on their own and learn how to live as an adult. I believe that every child should get the opportunity to go to college as far away from home as they want, and should not be held back because of senseless reasons. By the time every student is a senior in high school they are all already adjusted to the same kind of lifestyle. They are used to having their parents around all the time, paying the bills, and taking the major responsibility for everything in the house. If a child decides to go to college close to home, then they never really break the cycle of having their parents do everything for them. Having the ability to commute home whenever they want would just continue to allow parents to hold that leadership role and put off a child’s adulthood and individual life. If you choose to go to school far from home, then you can help speed up the transition into adulthood. By cutting your parents off from being able to do most of the important everyday tasks, it puts a new responsibility on the student to be independent and grow as a person. There are big tasks that have to be taken over, like getting a job and paying the bills, and there are also many smaller everyday tasks that have to been taken care of. College is a transition into the real world, and if you have your parents helping you out, then you will not be fully prepared to start a life on your own. There are thousands of schools all over the country that students can apply to, and it is not right to be restricted in their choice. Yes, there is the money factor and the student’s ability to get into the school, but location should not negatively affect the decision to apply there. If a person’s first choice for college is down the road, or on the other side of the country, they should be allowed to apply to and attend that school regardless. There are many kids who don’t get to go where they truly want to go because their parents won’t let them go that far away, and I think that is just wrong. Leaving home and going far away for school can also give a person a sense of appreciation. Once they are away from their family, and their hometown, a person will really learn to appreciate where they come from and what their families have done for them while they grew up. It will also help them appreciate family time when they do come home from college on breaks and vacations. If you attend school close to home, you are not really changing your surroundings and environment. Going to a school far away will help you explore a whole new world and gain many new experiences that attending a school close to home will not give you. Going out of state can show you all new people, new towns, and a whole new lifestyle which can help give you a great sense of diversity and understanding. College is a huge part of growing up, and if you do not go out and explore far from home, you may not be experiencing it to its fullest.

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This book guides parents through all of the steps necessary in order to be prepared for ther child leaving for college. It answers all of the possible questions that parents of children who are leaving for college could have. It touches on the obvious topics about helping your child leave for college, and also the more specific, in-depth questions that parents may have. Having your child leave for college is a big deal, and this book can help a parent get through it easier, without all the stress.======

**Book Review:**
I highly recommend this book. I particularly liked the chapter on Departure. A small passage really hit home with me,"Based on numerous interviews with college students, there seems to be little to no correlation between roommates' initial contacts and their ultimate compatibility. Too often, brief notes or abbreviated phone calls encourage fantasies of becoming best friends and soul mates -- only to discover later that a liking for yellow quilts and James Dean doesn't gaurantee friendship or similar lifestyles." After watching my daughter go through a similar situation, I can totally understand. I recommend any first time college bound parent read this.