Out-of-State is a State of Mind

My college search came down to a decision between two very different schools: a small public college in Virginia (William & Mary) and a large private Ivy-League university in Pennsylvania (UPenn).  I knew that no matter which school I chose I would receive a great education and amazing opportunities.  What I didn’t know is whether or not my status as an out-of-state student at the public college would lessen my experience as compared to the private college where no such distinction exists.  I was born and raised in Iowa and 90% of my high school packed up their belongings after high school and drove a few hours to one of the three public universities in the state.  All of my friends knew tons of other people going to their college; many even selected roommates based on our high school social circles.  They seemed to have it all figured out and I seemed to be venturing into the great unknown.  I was going to a school where I would be one of two Iowans in a sea of 5800 undergraduates and I was terrified.  Turned out, there was no need to be.  Despite the fact that many students enter W&M with friends or acquaintances from high school, they are just as eager for a new adventure as I was.  My freshman roommate and her sister (they were 2/3 of a triplet) even elected to live apart from each other despite the fact that they had shared the same room for their entire lives; rather than sticking with what was comfortable they too chose to take advantage of the new opportunities presented to them at college.  William & Mary is not a suitcase college whatsoever which made my transition much easier.  Students do not go home on the weekends and their parents are not constantly visiting so out-of-staters aren’t reminded about how far away from home they actually are.  One of my best friends came to W&M from Yorktown, VA (15 miles from campus) and she went home only during major breaks.  Sure I couldn’t go home for Fall Break (a four-day weekend in October) but my friends’ families simply adopted me instead.  I was only reminded that I was out-of-state when my friends wanted to learn more about Iowa.  I was most people’s first Iowan and that was quite a novelty (in fact one of my colleagues is still convinced that I lived in a log cabin and ate corn cakes for every meal).  But the neat thing about this place is how quickly it becomes a part of you.  During the first few weeks of school, as you meet new people and you’re asked where you’re from, you’ll respond with your hometown.  But after a month or so, when the same question is posed, people reference their freshman residence hall rather than the city in which their parents reside.  W&M becomes a second home and a second family and no one notices or cares who’s in-state and who’s out-of-state.  We are all the Tribe and that’s a great state of mind in which to live.

– Wendy Livingston