The days are going fast, and the seniors are graduating high school. They need to decide on college and one of their biggest decisions to make is location. We spoke to two WHB alumni (our older sisters!) about their college experiences; one home and one away. 

Kayla Graves is a freshman at San Diego State University. Cameron Maxwell is a sophomore at Suffolk college. We interviewed them both with questions and shared their different responses. 

Q: How do you overcome homesickness?

Kayla: “College is a big change and everyone will feel homesick but to me it’s an exciting change. I can’t live with my parents and family forever so college is the perfect transition into adulthood. I do miss my family tremendously and to help me cope I decorated my dorm with LED lights, pictures, and decorations to make my room feel homey and cozy.

Q: How do you cope with all the school work?

Kayla: “Every week I make a To-Do list with all the things I need to accomplish. My school work has not gotten overwhelming yet because I’ve been staying on top of my work. 

Cameron:  “I get ahead of all my work and stay on top of it. I do my schoolwork with my friends who are also not away for college. I also do my schoolwork in an environment I can focus in.”

Q: Do you feel like you are missing out on the college experience?

Cameron: “No, I don’t think I am missing out on the college experience because I got to experience it before I transferred to Suffolk. And personally I do better at home.”

Q: Was it hard making friends and always living with someone?

Kayla: “Living with a stranger is not easy, especially in a small dorm room. I don’t really like my roommate so it has been pretty hard but I am only in the dorm for one year, then I am able to live off campus with my friends.”

Q: What are the benefits of a community college?

Cameron: “Community college has many benefits, some are that it is cheaper, I am able to live at my house, I can have a job, and it is not as much stress being away from home.”

Q: Do you feel like people get pressured into going away?

Cameron: “Yes, I think people are pressured to go away for school. People think going to Suffolk has a negative connotation in high school and it makes you feel like you failed if you go to Suffolk but it’s not really like that it doesn’t matter where you go.”

Q: Do you have any advice for seniors deciding where they want to go to school? 

Cameron: “Don’t just settle on a school because you want to go away, make sure you really like it before committing and it’s ok to go to Suffolk even if it’s just a year or two before you decide to go away.”

Hopefully these answers help the seniors determine if they want to stay home or move away for college.