Many IHS seniors are getting ready to go to college in the next few months. Some are traveling far to colleges out of state and across the country, while others are staying close to home whether in state or out of state and some are staying home and commuting to a nearby college. A big reason many people choose to stay home and commute is because of tuition fees. Having a dorm room is an extra few thousand dollars added to the tuition which prevents many from living on campus. Many college students also prefer living on campus because it’s easier to get to class and to eat food in the cafeteria. Although, it has been proven that students that live on campus become more independent and break out of their comfort zone. We asked 3 current IHS students what their plans were for after high school in order to get insight about what high school seniors want to do in the next coming months.  

We interviewed three IHS students about staying home and commuting to college or living on campus. First, we interviewed Max Smith in R-Block who was just happy to be alive. We started off with, “Are you staying home or going away for college? Why?” Max responded, “I want to live on campus because it’s easier and if I were to stay home, commuting would be hard.” Then, we asked Max, “Do you think that going away for college helps prepare you for being more independent? Why?” Max said, “Yeah, if you live on campus you get experience about living independently and doing everything for yourself.” Our final question, “Do you believe that a new college environment will be tough at first? Why?” “Max responded, “Yes, a college environment will be different and it will take time to get adjusted.” Our interview with Max Smith was a success and we found out Max wants to live at college because it offers a better experience for him than commuting. Max wants to have a major in history and will attend UMass Boston next school year. 

Next we interviewed Nathan Kobuszewski who was also in R block. We asked him, “Are you staying home or going away for college?” Nathan said “ I am going away to college to get the full college experience.” We then asked Nathan, “Do you think that going away for college helps prepare you for being more independent?” Nathan responded to this by saying “Yes because you live alone and do everything by yourself.” Lastly we asked Nathan, “Do you think most seniors in high school will want to go away for college or stay close to home?” He stated that he thinks “Most want to go away to college to get the full experience.” Next year, Nathan will live on campus because he wants to become more independent and also wants the full college experience in general. Nathan will attend college at Endicott College and will study Mechanical Engineering. 

The last person we interviewed was Sam Rivero.  The first question we asked Sam was, “Are you staying home or going away to college?” Sam responded by saying “I am going away to college because my parents want me to leave.” The next question we asked Sam was, “Do you think that going away for college helps prepare you for being more independent?” Sam said that “Yes, going away helps with independence and although he has bad anxiety he believes he will get used to it.” The last question we asked Sam was: “Do you think most seniors in high school will want to go away for college or stay close to home?” He said he believes “ It’s up to the person but I believe most people will want to stay and commute; however some people can’t due to circumstances.” Sam will be living and going to Keene State College in New Hampshire; he will be studying Marine Biology and he will be able to get the whole college experience. 

In general, we can conclude that a good portion of IHS students will stay and live at a college next school year. Coming from the three IHS students, living on campus will not only deliver the full college experience but it will also make you more independent from your family. It has been proven in the past that going away for college will help gain independence and have more appreciation for home. The college experience will give you a fresh start in life and will get you out of your comfort zone. Living on campus is great; although commuting to a campus is not a bad decision for many because it saves many people money. The best part about college is that the decision is completely up to you and you aren’t forced into commuting or a dorm room for four years.