Starting college has a vivid image in pop culture. You graduate with your friends in caps and gowns on a beautiful summer day and toss your caps up in the air while smiling and laughing. Cut to the next scene and you are loading up a car with coordinated dorm room essentials so your parents can drop you off, help you unload, then disappear hours away so you can finally start your life and be the person you were always meant to be. The dream!

Nowhere in that idyllic scene is staying local for college, living at home, driving familiar streets, and keeping the status quo. I get it, I’ve been there, but choosing Wichita State after graduating from a local high school was the best decision I ever made, and it could be for you too. Here are just a couple of reasons why:

Living on campus has its perks, but you will definitely save money staying local! That’s money you can spend on fun things like coffee, nights out, coffee, new clothes, coffee, hobbies, or, let’s be honest, just money you don’t have to take out loans for (unless you develop a bad coffee habit with five coffee shops on campus).

It is worth noting that students living at home in the greater Sedgwick County are eligible for exemption from the rule that all first-year students must live on campus. The exempt counties are Butler, Cowley, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Reno, Sedgwick and Sumner.  This is helpful because housing costs are a significant portion of college expenses.

Wichita State students also get free rides on city buses which travel through campus, so you don’t technically need a car. Plus, you don’t have to spend money traveling home on breaks, which means more funds for making your vacation dream trip a reality. Wichita’s Eisenhower Airport has cheap flights to fun places all the time. Local students truly get more savings and convenience!

You have the advantage of where to find what you need, the local lore, the best eating spots, the streets to avoid rage-inducing traffic (Rock Road, anyone?). Adjusting to college is tough enough, why add having to learn a completely foreign area on top of it? You already know people in Wichita too, so you’ve got the upper hand on jobs and networking.

Shocker Nation is the most affordable research university in the state, the most diverse campus in Kansas, and has the most graduates hired in Kansas after graduating. For those who want to get involved, there are more than 300 campus activities every year. Even if you don’t live on campus, there are still endless opportunities to stay active and get a traditional college experience.

Want to work while getting your degree? More than 90 percent of applied learning placements are paid, almost double the national average. Students can also get free tutoring and other resources to help with classes. Class sizes are small so you get to know your peers and professors.

Choosing to stay in Wichita and attend Wichita State for my college experience allowed me to flourish. I was confident enough in my surroundings to step out of my comfort zone and try new things, knowing I had a familiar place to fall back on if things got too much. I didn’t have to share a bedroom or living space with strangers. I got home-cooked meals, but still had access to all the dining options on campus. I also always got my daily steps in from walking from the parking lots to campus. Above all, I met amazing people, learned amazing things and found a whole new appreciation for my hometown.

Wichita really is Wichit-Awesome!