Before even considering what they wanted from their college experience, my high school classmates came to the resolution that attending a New Jersey college would be the last thing they would do. The idea of having to “escape” echoed through the grade, and by the time of application season, my peers were fixated on getting an out-of-state experience. New Jersey’s top-notch universities, high testing scores, and strong student-teacher ratios are all evident marks of the state’s persistent efforts to nurture a robust foundation in academia. Yet, even the state’s fond academic reputations and illustrious titles (Princeton, for example) couldn’t appeal to the general student body.
What students have been conditioned to believe is that success can only be achieved by distancing yourself from home. Of course, the college years are times to push yourself outside your comfort zone, but many internalize the pressure of such an ideology and run it to the ground. While experiencing new environments is vital in our early adult years, success doesn’t mean isolating yourself from your roots and reinventing yourself to fit the space around you.
According to a 2022 research study, New Jersey sent a whopping 54.3% of students to out-of-state schools. With so many peers aiming to leave the state, those with the financial means jump at the chance to follow in the majority’s footsteps. Within colleges, opportunities like studying abroad, or traveling programs similar to Penn’s Global Seminar Courses, are exceptional chances to gain exposure to different cultures and values that exist beyond the bubble we live in. Yet, many forget that in-state schools include diverse demographics as well. In fact, their student bodies tend to be more diverse due to higher acceptance rates and affordability.
The obsession with “escaping” creates a harmful distancing from the roots that have molded us into who we are today. Often, fall break and long weekends are spent away from home visiting nearby cities like New York and Washington D.C. Even summer internships are spent halfway across the country, when perfect opportunities exist near the homes of students. For some reason, these big city names are equated to success, and we restlessly await the prospect of working in a renowned location.
These areas often have a high concentration of people from all across the globe hounding for a spot. We must not forget that our hometowns also need the same attention and community engagement that we put into other locations. Investing so much time in other spaces, while neglecting the place you came from, subconsciously dissociates many from their cultural backgrounds. Our homes carry a history that has reared our authenticity and personality, which is equally necessary for our future success. The financial prosperity and grandiose appearance of New York City is appealing, but can impede on our ability to see ourselves as important parts of civil society. We can get lost in the go-getting atmosphere and adopt forced behaviors that mimic inauthentic lifestyles.
In no way am I suggesting that we stay in our bubble and refuse to explore the greater world. What I wish to emphasize is that subconsciously and consciously cutting ties to our homes is another way to lose touch with support systems, distance ourselves from vital home relationships, and alienate ourselves from our past. Constantly focusing on the next job and next location can be unsteadying and exhausting, and we often forget our triumphs are not exclusive to the prominence of big-name cities.
Previous educational experiences and hometown friends (and enemies) are a reflection of your character growth and how you have gained self-identity. Shunning this part of you is also shunning all the lessons you have learned and relationships you have built. Our tunnel vision of ambition can create an unspoken division between in-state peers, especially if designating their college experience as inferior to our out-of-state opportunities. Capitalize on chances to explore, but don’t let your ambition hinder your connection to your roots. In fact, that can be just as damaging as sticking to familiar territory.
ALYMA KARBOWNIK is a College first year from Maplewood, N.J. Her email is alymak@sas.upenn.edu.
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