Staying close to home vs. another city

[al01]

Hi I would like some insights on the topic of deciding whether it would be better to attend a dental school closer to home or in another city.

 

I am currently living in Alberta right now, but I would love to attend U of T if I were accepted.

 

Also I've had a fair amount of bad personal life experiences, living in my city - I would love the opportunity for a new start? Yes it's very cliche, but I just don't see what I have left to stay behind for. I'm also aware it may not necessarily be better in Toronto(is this all worth trying for?). Another thing is all my life i've pretty much just focused on studying(even through high school I've never had much time to enjoy myself). This is perhaps my last chance to see what it's like...

 

Cons: However, I realize it would be much more expensive to live away from home and in the end, it would cost me twice as much when compared to going to U of A(100k more would be a good estimate if I were to live in res).

 

100k is a lot of money and this means I would need to postpone a few more years of my life before I can start my own practice.

 

On top of that, I will also have to the pressure of living on my own, and perhaps lower grades?

 

Pros: If I were to live in U of T, I was hoping I'll have the privilege of embracing the city and basically embark on an adventure. Also, the prospect of having a larger class size provides greater opportunity to meet new people(perhaps future business partners?).

 

Will I have time to enjoy all this or will dental school be consuming all my time? Keep in mind I will also have to allot time to run weekly errands(laundry, grocery shopping etc...).

 

 

I would love to hear suggestions and opinions.

 

- al01

[Contach]

Formal university education is only one way to learn. You have to realize that University is not only about going to classes and writing papers and exams - there is a whole world that you are missing - that can be roughly broken down into civic engagement and personal growth. Don’t think about the marks that may decrease, but think about the freedoms you will enjoy and the development in other aspects of your life that you will learn to love.

 

I see civic engagement as getting involved. It is joining clubs, being apart of group study sessions, hanging around with friends, learning what you like and creating your life. Living from home often deters this because you aren't physically in the same community as your peers. This physical removal transcends into social removal very easily. From your post I feel that perhaps this 'University Community' is what you yearn for. It is true that Universities try VERY hard to guarantee all first year students a place in residence - and this is not because they wan't your Residence Fees, but instead because it has been shown that students excel in this environment as compared to commuting from home. They excel by getting involved and becoming civicly engaged students. The residence experience is so crucial to University success. And once again, success is not limited to getting A's in school.

 

Success is about personal growth. We are living in a time when a Bachelor's degree is the new high school diploma and a highschool diploma is the new highschool dropout. Yes, this means you must push for more degrees, but it also elucidates how formal education can only take you so far in life. A's will be A's until the day you apply for a job and are not asked to show an official transcript - then they will be nothing. What you will have however, are the experiences, the learning, the skills that you acquired through school. And no, running a polyacrilyamide gel electrophoresis is not a lifelong skill. The gold lies deeper. It is what you learn to do when you are forced to live with no one to depend on but yourself. It is the people you meet who are in your situation. And most importantly it is what you learn about yourself like what you like and who you don’t like. As you said yourself, it will be an adventure, and it won’t be easy. But you will get through it, and the challenges you face will make you a changed person.

 

That being said, I think it’s promising that you are asking these questions now. (I assume you are doing your undergrad from home right now so..) It’s not too late to do what a lot of others have already done. If others can manage good marks and living away from home – why can’t you? What does your hesitation truly stem from? If you feel that there is something out there that you aren’t experiencing then you need to take advantage of this opportunity. The money is least important. However, if you can honestly tell yourself that you are happy now, and will not have any regrets 5, 10 or 50 years later, then by all means go to UofA and I will forever envy your dedication to family, love for home and financial foresight.

 

My question for you: why only U of T? There are so many other cities in Canada and the USA with great schools – and perhaps more importantly, that are not called ‘home’.

[al01]

Thank you Contach. Your message is very inspirational and I'll definitely consider all the aspects you've discussed.

 

Why Toronto? That's the only other dental school I've applied to and my family has always talked about moving there, when they retire. As well, I love that city! I have more friends and family living there.

 

Sigh... I'll have to wait and see I suppose.

 

For Contach: I was wondering if you'd feel comfortable sharing your experience - what was it like initially to live on your own(did you feel like you were ready)? How did you cope with the debt and stress? Did you ever feel homesick? Also, are you currently in dental school?

 

- al01