My first college visit was to the University of Notre Dame. When I stepped foot on campus, I instantly hated it.  It was a cold and dreary day, and I felt a chill settle deep within my bones. At that point in time, I was armed with an ACT score that was lower than Notre Dame’s preferred average.

As I hurriedly walked around campus, the pitch of a faith-based community was everywhere.   For the past four years, I had taken eight semesters of theology. I wanted to get away from my roots and take off for either the East or West Coasts. Rather, Brown and Stanford seemed to be the colleges where I was destined to attend.

On the drive back to Chicago, I made a promise to myself that I would get as far away from the Midwest and being required to take a theology class as I could possibly get.  Six months later, I have to laugh at the irony.

In the upcoming fall, I will be a freshman at the University of Notre Dame. With that said, I  couldn’t be happier with my choice of school, regardless of its proximity to Chicago or my desire to learn more about my faith on a deeper level.  Brown, Stanford, University of Michigan or Northwestern are great schools, but my choice to attend the University of Notre Dame is one I say with much pride and excitement.

Many people start off with the mentality that I shared: get as far away from home as possible. All of our high school life, we are told that college is the time to find yourself and to be independent. Most people equate these quests by thinking that they have to get as far away as possible from their families. “Going off to college” no longer means beginning a new chapter of higher level of education on a new campus.  For many young people, it, literally, means setting off on your own, a thousand miles away to a different part of the country.

Interestingly, the Regina Dominican graduating class of 2015 has embraced going away to colleges and universities closer to home. The majority of the Class of 2015 is staying in the Midwest for college.  Why is that? The most significant answer to this question has to do with finances.  To put it frankly, in-state tuition is much cheaper than out of state.  Why go to a public school out of state for twice the cost, when you can stay nearby, save money, and not be saddled with so much debt?

The price of education has skyrocketed.  According to Fox News, “When adjusted for inflation, students are paying more than triple what students paid 30 years ago to attend a public, four-year institution and about 2.5 times more to attend a private nonprofit or two-year public one.”

This dramatic increase in a college education  is becoming a crisis for young high school graduates and their families.  Although more people are going to college, less people are able to get jobs afterwards.  Today, a Bachelor’s degree is considered the bare minimum to get a decent paying job.  Unfortunately, the unemployment rate for college graduates is as high as it has ever been.

Another reason that people stay nearby for college is familiarity.  We were born and raised in the Midwest.  We have Midwestern values instilled in us, and going anywhere else is bound to be a culture shock.  It is a well known stereotype that Midwesterners are the nicest people in the country.  Going to a new region of the country may very well be a huge change. This doesn’t mean we will not experience cultural differences or a different world view. Regardless if we are going to Loyola University in Chicago or Loyola University in New Orleans, we will be experiencing something new and learning so much more.

Realistically, we have no idea how overwhelmed we might be next year.  The feeling of being away and on one’s own probably doesn’t hit  until the first night when you go to sleep in your dorm room.  It’s a little nerve racking to think  we will be completely on our own.  No family or high school friends around.  For many of us, we will be living on our own for the first time, and the stress of classes, a new social circle, and a new course load can be overwhelming.  Being close to family, even though they are a five hour car ride away, will definitely be a comfort.  Just knowing that you could drive home and be in a familiar surrounding may put us at ease.

Subconsciously, I think that I knew these things when I was choosing schools to apply to.  Although I applied to a couple of schools outside of the Midwest, none of those options worked out.  I am secretly grateful that this happened.  I know that college is going to be a huge change for me.  Going somewhere that will be different, yet familiar at the same time, makes me feel a whole lot better.

First of all, I am within a two hours drive from home.  Second of all, I will be attending a Catholic university, which, for me,  is a huge bonus. I know that I will fit right in. It won’t be the same as Regina, but I know that a school with a faith-based foundation is something that I want.   College is a time to experience new things, and I am sure that I will have plenty of opportunities to do that at Notre Dame.  At the same time, I am glad that I’m taking a small piece of home with me.

Regina girls are global leaders. For four years, we have been learning to be able to go out into the real world.  Although the majority of us might be staying close by, we are ready to make an impact wherever we go and wherever it will take us in our future.