Why I Went to College Out of State

Hey y'all!

I love my school. I love it so much. I'm the annoying girl who brags about how amazing it is, how great our programs are, how beautiful the campus is, and how talented the football team is 😉. If you're new here, then you wouldn't know that I go to the University of Alabama

Since my family still lives in Texas, it's a 10 hour drive or an hour and a half plane ride for me to go home, which really isn't that bad. I personally really enjoy long distance driving but my dad always tries to make me stop halfway. And flying is great, except for the fact Birmingham airport is tiny so you have to shell out big bucks for a ticket.

I'm sure you're wondering how did I find out I wanted to go to the University of Alabama when I lived in Texas? Well, thanks to football, I was able to find my dream school.



Why I Wanted to go Out of State

When it comes to college decisions, a large portion of my high school always goes to Texas A&M (it's pretty close to my town) or the University of Texas. While that's great for some people, I personally always said that I didn't want to go to high school when I was in college, meaning that I didn't want to keep going to school with the same people.

I knew that I wanted to explore new places and meet new people, and I felt that if I stayed in Texas, I wouldn't be able to do that. (Although I totally plan on living in Texas again at some point!)

How Did I Know Where?
Starting in 8th grade, I went to a lot of LSU games. My best friend's family had season tickets, so I was invited to go to at least 2 home games every season until I was a senior in high school.

Although I loved going to the games and I definitely considered myself an LSU fan, I didn't really feel like their campus was right for me.

My sophomore year of high school, I was lucky enough that her family offered to take me to Tuscaloosa with them for the LSU v Bama game. Of course I was thrilled because I had been taught to hate the Crimson Tide.

But then I got to campus. It's literally what you imagine college to be like. It's seriously like a movie. The greek houses are huge, the quad was filled with tailgating, and everyone was so nice. That was the surprising part since we were wearing the other team's colors. I knew that I wanted to go to school there from that moment on. But I didn't know how my parents would feel about it.

My sister went to Baylor, and had only looked at a few out of state colleges, but wasn't considering them as serious options. I figured that I would be in the same boat. I toured a few schools in Texas, but in the back of my mind, I kept comparing them to UA and nothing even came close.

Thankfully, my mom convinced my dad to let us go as a family to do a tour. They saw how much I loved it and told me they'd try to make it work. And I'm so so happy and thankful they did.
Why You Should Consider It!!
I know that out of state colleges are expensive, trust me. But that shouldn't limit you. College is expensive regardless of if you go in state or out of state, but that's why scholarships and loans are a thing. You only go to college for four years (or five, I don't judge), so why wouldn't you want to go somewhere to experience new things and new people?

Going to UA, I was originally supposed to live with one of my best friends, but she ended up not coming to school here. I was devastated, but honestly, everything happens for a reason. I was able to be my own person and make my own friends. I was on my own, but I was thriving -- and still am.

My school actually has over 50% of students from out of state and I actually love it. Believe it or not, none of my friends are actually from Texas, so I have had the opportunity to learn so much about different cultures and be introduced to people who have completely different backgrounds than me. 




I honestly love my school so so much and I'm super passionate about helping others find the school of their dreams (kinda why I focus on college life so much on my blog!) If you have any questions about Alabama, or out of state schools, or even just college in general, please PLEASE reach out to me!


3 comments

  1. I go to school out of state so I totally relate! and I totally agree! it's truly the best experience and I'm soo happy I did!

    https://blackberriesandsparkles.com/2017/08/11/instagram-round-up-2/

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    1. Yay I'm so happy to here that Reece! I think a lot of people are scared at first but it's seriously the best decision I ever made :)

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  2. I also go to school out-of-state and I love it! I'm a little closer to home than you, I only went from New Jersey to Massachusetts. I really want to move to MA when I graduate! It was such a great decision to come here. I'm glad you're enjoying your out-of-state experience, too!

    Lauren // http://laurensjourney.com

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