Samantha Shay, 21, grew up in a rural town in Jonestown, Pennsylvania, about a 3 1/2 hour drive away from Adelphi University. Joining school clubs helped her adapt to the pace of city life in Long Island, New York, and find her place on campus — but she had to get used to living without her mom’s help when she got sick or needed help with chores.
“The hardest part besides fitting in and making friends is just adjusting to really living on your own,” Shay says.
More than 20 percent of full-time students attend a college more than 500 miles away from home, according to the Higher Education Research Institute’s annual college freshman survey. But whether you go across the country or a few hours away from home like Shay, moving to a new city can be jarring.
Learning basic skills like how to wash clothes and balanc e a budget can help make the transition easier, but there are a few things that families can do during the application process to help students make a new city feel like home. College admissions experts encourage out-of-state students to include the following research factors to their list as they search for the right school.
1. Research the weather: Moving to a region that has a significantly different climate than what a teen is used to can affect more than what they pack for school.
“If you’re from Arizona and it’s sunny 300 days of the year, you have to think about what does it mean to not have the sun every single day or the majority of that time,” says LeAnne Wiles, director of first-year programs at the University of Washington in Seattle.
She talks to students about seasonal affective disorder, depression that happens at the same time each year, and how to combat it — especially during the winter months.
[Use these tips to avoid depression in college.]
2. Find out the local thoughts on hot-button issues: Opinions on politics and human rights issues vary wildly across the country. Over the last year, for example, students at colleges across the country have been protesting over concerns about racism and sexual assaults on campus .
Students can look at the agenda for the local chamber of commerce and read local newspapers to get a sense of the city or state’s political views and what it might be like to live there, says Wiles.
Experts recommend asking questions during the college tour about politics, race, sexuality and the social climate.
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“It’s always good to ask what the environment is like as far as is it something that’s openly discussed? Is it something that students are actively involved in?” says Katie Foshee, assistant director of admissions for new student programs at Southeast Missouri State University.
Students can also ask about programs for first-year students that help freshmen get connected to their new cities and ask about how the university partners with the community.
3. Learn what residents do for food and fun: If you have time, go to a show or try out an activity that you think will interest you when you visit schools and take a walk around the surrounding neighborhood.
“Ask your admissions counselors or the faculty member that you meet with where their favorite place to eat is and get a touch of that local flavor or what the environment is like,” Foshee says.
Students should also take a look at the local annual events that happen in the city and see if they match their interests, experts say.
4. Think about housing: Some universities don’t allow students to live on campus all four years.
Students should Google neighborhoods before they make the commitment to attend a school to make sure they’d be comfortable with the available housing options and with living in the surrounding community, the University of Washington’s Wiles says.
5. Create a plan to deal with homesickness: “Expect to feel some homesickness, whether you’ve gone out of state or you’re just a few hours away — it’s a big, big life change,” says Rebecca Whitmer, college admissions consultant and internship director at The Enrichery, an admissions consulting company in Texas.
Families can create a schedule for when they will check in. Parents should talk to their teens about who they’re meeting and the activities that they’re pursuing in school, experts suggest.
[Discover ways for parents to support a homesick college student.]
Parents can send care packages to help students feel connected when they’re far away and tickets or gift cards for activities like concerts or a trip to a spa — during high-stress times to help combat homesickness.
“I am the biggest advocate for sending mail,” Southeast Missouri State’s Foshee says. “It can help the student know that the family at home is rooting for them and supporting them.”
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Adjust to College as an Out-of-State Student originally appeared on usnews.com
