Missing out on the Fantasy World

For the Columbus Day weekend, two of my friends came back from college for a few days. One from Trinity College in Connecticut, and one from the University of Buffalo. After talking to both of them individually about their respective schools and how they liked it, I realized how much I missed out on by staying home for college. One of the two referred to their college life as being a “fantasy world.” He’s having the time of his life being away at school on his own and he’d rather stay there all year than come home to visit. He says coming back to Brooklyn is like coming back to reality, and it’s depressing to him. He loves the independent lifestyle and the enjoyment of living with friends. He’s having the time of his life at school and doesn’t want that feeling to end.

My brother, Kevin, went to Binghamton University and graduated in 2008. Ever since then he’s talked about how much he misses college. I never really knew if this was how everyone felt until I heard all my friends that went away talk about how much they love it. As much as I am happy for them that they’re having a good time, their good time makes me feel like I made the wrong decision on staying home for school.

The college lifestyles of staying home and going away vary in many ways. Staying home, I still feel constricted in the same house with my parents, my aunt, and my brothers. I feel like I’m living the same way I’ve been living the past seventeen years of my life. There hasn’t been a change. From what I’ve seen and heard, going away to college is a thrill, an excitement, and a mystery. It’s something new. It brings on new challenges, new stories, and life lessons. I feel like I’m missing out on an important aspect of life by staying home.

Sure, I like Baruch College and Macaulay, but I think college is about more than just the school, the academics, and the grades. It’s about the whole experience with new people, new places, and a new environment. With that being said, I feel like I didn’t give myself a chance to have all those experiences when I made the decision to stay home.