Attending college far from home? Determining when - and how - to make visits back to your home can be a difficult task.
There are several factors to consider, ranging from costs to time. Still, we all need to go back home eventually.
How to Travel Home
Here are some factors to consider when determining the answers to these questions for yourself.
Book a Flight
Perhaps the most obvious answer for many out-of-staters is to book a flight back
home for the holidays. Depending on the distance that you are from home, this can be the most convenient option, and it may not break the bank as much as you might expect.
When searching for your flight, consider using a flight search engine, like
Google Flights or
Skyscanner, which can help you find the most economically priced flights back home. Additionally, adding a layover to your flight plan may also decrease prices depending on the airline.
If you’re choosing this option, consider how you will get to the airport. If you have family or friends nearby who are willing, it can be convenient to be dropped off at the airport.
However, there are also options for people who cannot do this. Consider ridesharing with other students to the airport. During the holiday season,
many students are looking to catch flights back, so it should not be too difficult to find someone with whom to share a Lyft or Uber.
Alternatively students in large cities could consider using public transit systems to reach the airport - just make sure to familiarize yourself with their layouts first!
Drive Home - or Get Picked Up
This might not be a possibility for those who live over a day’s drive from their school, but if your drive home is under ten hours or so, it could be worth considering driving home. For students who have a car on campus, driving home may also be more
financially economical.
Students who do not have a car on campus may be picked up by a parent or friend, but it’s important to note that this will double the cost of gas and hotels - and is also a big ask of someone.
Before choosing this option, try to calculate how much it will cost you to drive back home. Take into consideration gas, meals, and a possible hotel stay depending on distance.
Consider a Train
Many college students aren’t well acquainted with the Amtrak system - but it is another option that students attending college out of state could consider for the trip home. The costs associated with an Amtrak trip aren’t generally too hefty - they often sit somewhere in between the cost of driving yourself (hotel stays not included) and the cost of flying.
However, taking the train is generally a longer option, with the potential of multiple hours of travel time being added on to accommodate stops at different stations along the way. As such, it may not be the best option for someone who is making a short trip home or looking to conserve time for another reason.
Regardless, it is still a good option to consider - especially for students without a car who are looking for a
less expensive alternative to flying.
How Often to Travel Home
With the costs adding up, it can be easy to do your best to avoid trips home. However, it is important for all students attending college far away to find times to return home and see family and friends. Deciding how often you wish to travel home is a personal decision - there is no one size fits all advice.
Some
college students struggle greatly with homesickness, while others have a more seamless transition into their new living space. It can be difficult to determine how you will react to moving to college.
Naturally, a student with homesickness will be more likely to want to return at frequent intervals. This is one factor to take into consideration when planning how often you will return home.
However, the frequency of your trips may also be mandated by your college’s housing policy. Whether or not your dorms shut down during break periods varies from school to school.
For many colleges, the dorms shut down during winter break, necessitating a visit home. Although
most schools keep dorms open during other breaks, including fall and spring breaks, this is not necessarily the case for every school - it is important to check what your particular school’s policies are for students remaining in the dorms.
Students can consider making trips home not just for winter break, but also for spring and fall breaks, as well as Thanksgiving, depending on what they and their family feel is best. Beyond this, trips home would need to be well planned out to ensure that they do not interfere with the student’s studies.
