Does Location Really Matter When Choosing College?
There are many factors you should consider when choosing college. As college admission rolls in, most high school seniors start to feel nervous and excited at the same time. Choosing college can be stressful especially when you don’t really know what you want. You will feel so much pressure if you have not decided on a school yet. Among so many factors to consider when choosing college, you need to consider focusing on location.
Why choosing college based on its location
Location influences your choice of school and your eventual experience later. Here are factors you can consider when choosing college based on its location:
Transportation and walkability
When choosing college, you might think of the size of the campus, whether you can get around on foot or by taxis, bus, etc. However, it is not the entire frame you need to focus on. Aside from going to classes, you will want to do things in the surrounding areas too. You will need occasional breathing room to get away from academic buildings and roommates. You need to get outside campus from time to time. Hence, look for campus that provide you great transportation and walkability options. Hence, you will get around both on and off campus comfortably.
Local communities
Planning for college is different from planning for a long vacation. Hence, you should not just consider about what great landmarks or attractions nearby your prospective campus. Instead, research more about the local communities that a university is located in. It will help a lot to make you informed decision on a school that can make you feel like home throughout your college life. Keep in mind that even if your prospective college has various attractions and landmarks, it is unlikely that you visit them daily. Your focus should be on your education.
Distance from home
Distance can influence other parts of your college life. It may affect your relationships from home as well. Hence, you need to determine how far away you are willing to go for living your college life. If you want a change in scenery, be aware that you have to compromise on how often you see people who used to be fixtures in your life, be it family or friends. Distance can make huge difference between two similar universities, so choose whether to go somewhere new or stay close to home.
Environment and climate
The location of your prospective college may have different environment and climate. And if you have lived in the same place for most of your life, climate and environment are important things to consider. Different location may have different climate and environment. If you want to experience a potential school life season-by-season to get well-round understanding of what living there will be like, then might as well go for it. Keep in mind that different environment and climate will require different logistics for you to survive. In addition, you may also want to consider air quality to enjoy clean, smog-free air on campus.
