If you have read my bio you will know I am an out of state student. I don’t mean that I come from the “Chicago Suburbs”, I mean that I am 1,847.9 miles away from home. I chose to come to this university to try something new, I mean who wouldn’t want to be able to live in two states at once for four years? And four weeks into it I can say that it was the best decision I have ever made. I have never been more in love with a place in my life, and I’m from SoCal so that’s saying something. But I have also learned a few things from being an out of state student who only gets to go home with him twice a year.

1. You WILL miss home- as much as I love being out on my own to experience and learn new things there are days where all I will want to do is hug my mom and dad and sleep in my own bed. Those moments will hit you at the weirdest times, trust me. I was sitting in math discussion this week and all of a sudden I felt home sick. The worst is when I talk to my parents and hear their voice or see something that reminds me of them. It is especially hard when all your friends are able to go home on the weekends and you know it will be 3 months before you go home. The time when I am most homesick is when I am actually sick, but I think that’s the same for most people. All you want is a hug from your parents to make it all better.
2. On the same note, because I am so far away from home I have begun to cherish my family and how close we are. Being on your own you will realize how grateful you are for what your family has taught you over the past 18 years. Trust me, there have been multiple times I have been doing something and realized that I would have been screwed without my parents. Easiest example- knowing how to do laundry before I came to college. I haven’t made a white t-shirt red yet.
3. It’s a great conversation starter- on a lighter note saying you’re from somewhere like California is a great topic starter. It just means you’re going to get asked the same question a lot. So why would you chose Iowa? Because it’s the most AMAZING place ever, that’s why.
4. You get the best of both worlds- While it sucks to be so far from home, there is a positive side to it. You get to live in two states at once. While I get to meet new people and experience a completely different world I also get to go home for four months out of the year and live on the beach and hang with my family.
5. Finally the best advice I can give is that it WILL be ok- sometimes you will feel like dropping out and going home. You will feel like you can’t do it, but I can promise you that in the end it will all be ok. We are all feeling the same way, we all get homesick so if you want a day to cry and miss home that’s ok but don’t spend all your time worrying about it because you will miss out on the amazing place that is Iowa City and the amazing people that are the University of Iowa

Until Next Time

Go Hawks!