So I am a senior in high school, and live in Tennessee. I hate it here. I live in a slightly more rural area, and I can’t wait to get out. The only problem? Finding a place to go where college isn’t too expensive. I may have to spend my freshman year here but after that I definitely plan on leaving. There’s nothing left for me here anyway. Half of my family’s moved away (more on that later) and I barely have any friends. I have literally no good reasons to stay here. I constantly look at other states, typically in the New England area to potentially move to, but I’m not sure. Is there anyone that’s been in a similar situation that could give some inside information or advice? About the family thing. My parents are currently going through a divorce and my dad and sister moved to the LA area. The thing is, I’ve dreamed of living in LA for years but I don’t really like my dad that much and I’m not sure if I’m quite ready to live on my own in California. So like I said before, I have nothing left for me here and the idea of having to stay genuinely makes me sad. I’m not sure what direction I want to go but any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for reading all this.
Well New England and LA are about the most expensive places you could move too. And having been to both I wouldn't move there if my life depended on it. It also depends on what you want to major in, in college; or if a technical school or community college could get you the same or some times better education for less money. That is where I would suggest you start your search for some place to move. I doubt Tennessee has winters half as bad as the north east, so that first winter up north is going to be a huge shock. I only mention that because I worked at the University of Wyoming, and the number of students completely unprepared for temperatures that drop far below zero was really quite high. Southern cold is nothing like more northern cold. My sister and her husband love Colorado, several schools and colleges in the Denver metro area. Not on the cheap side, but the cost of living in Denver is less than LA or most of the New England area.
Florida is awesome. Since practically no one here is actually from here you get a blend of everywhere else in the country in one state. Plus there's literally nowhere in the entire state where you're more than an hour from the beach. Like the southern/country vibe? Northern Florida. Like the Midwestern vibe? Tampa. Like the stereotypical touristy Florida vibe? Orlando. Like the California/Hispanic vibe? Miami. We're also the #1 cheapest state in the country for resident college tuition due to the state government heavily subsidizing it with tourism revenue and international students.
Unfortunately, as I'm sure you're realizing, the state-based college system in america makes moving out of state for college very difficult unless you can get scholarships. Your best option may be to get a solid education in-state and move out when you start looking for work - many employer's will pay for the move and you won't have to worry about tuition any more. As far as the starting over part - I think any place more than a couple hours drive from home and family will feel like a fresh start, so I'd suggest basing this off of just what environmental features (scenery, weather, etc.) you prefer.
