Out-of-state: Finding Your Home Away From Home

I’m a small-town girl from the mountains in Southern California, and I chose to travel 3,000 mi away to go to Adelphi University. All my life, I knew I wanted to spread my wings and go someplace new when I went to college. The reason for that is that I wanted to have the experience of being by myself for once and figuring it out on my own (of course, my mom would only be a phone call away). Whenever I think about what my life would be like if I did stay close to home, I realize how blessed I am that I was able to have this WONDERFUL opportunity to grow into the person I am today.

Finding the right school:

When I was searching for schools, I looked for schools that were in an area I would be comfortable living in and that had the specific programs I was looking to get into. Hint: If you haven’t been to the area the school is located in, Google pictures and articles about the town/city. (Garden City is beautiful!)

Accepted?:

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Now you can take a tour of the campus to figure out if you can see yourself at that school: walking to classes and living in the residence halls. I had my aunt, who lives close by, take pictures of the campus and get a general feel for it, since I couldn’t afford to come see it. If you can’t go see a campus you’re interested in, don’t worry. You can usually get a feel for it by pictures online and reviews by other students. Here’s Adelphi’s official website: http://www.adelphi.edu/

Orientation:

This is the time you’re going to have to meet all new people who could potentially be your best friends for the next 4 years. I still get together with my orientation group and Orientation Leaders (OLs) every so often. I’m also still really close to the first friend I ever made at Adelphi University.

Freshman Year:

Freshman year was so new and amazing for me. I met the most genuine people, and I expanded my horizons in different ways: by joining clubs, trying out for a sports team, finding a job on campus (such as being an Admissions Ambassador), and getting involved in Greek Life. My advice for freshman year as an out-of-state student is to GET INVOLVED… The more you have to do, the more connected you’ll feel to your school.