Life in Ohio 

Hello! My name is Cameron Johnston, and I am a senior here at the university studying marketing and management. Growing up, I always thought I was going to attend Ohio State University. I am from Cleveland, Ohio, only a couple hours away from OSU, so the “buckeye culture” was a huge part of my childhood, and it seemed that most people I knew went to Ohio State. For a long time, it seemed like the right option, and I told myself that if I got accepted, I would attend for the name's sake on my resume and future job opportunities. But I had also applied to 10+ out-of-state colleges because part of me felt like I would not be happy staying in Ohio. When college decision letters started coming in, I was shocked to see that out of the 15 or so colleges I had applied to, Ohio State was the only school that had waitlisted me, while I was accepted everywhere else. I was extremely confused and upset because based on my application there was seemingly no reason for me to not be accepted. Everyone else in my grade had been accepted either to OSU main campus, or their satellite campus so I was also feeling super left out, and worried about what I might do. Around this time, I also totaled my mom's minivan (as well as the other vehicle that I t-boned) so life was hard, weird, and confusing, and I pretty much had no sense of direction. But as they say -- rejection is just redirection.  

 

 

Exploring Colleges

In the spring of my senior year, I booked a trip to Colorado to visit my sister and tour a few colleges. I visited my sister many times throughout the previous years, so I knew I loved Colorado and everything the mountains had to offer. I had already been accepted into three universities in Colorado, so at this point, I was certain I would be choosing my college from those options. I went on my first scheduled tour at CSU and immediately knew it wasn’t the school for me and ended up skipping out on the tours for the other two schools I was interested in. For some reason I just couldn’t picture myself at CSU, and I felt that something was missing. (At this point, I was unaware that CSU was UW’s biggest rival, and I can confidently say I ended up on the correct side of the rivalry!!)   

 

The University of Wyoming 

The next morning, we had gone to the barn to see my sisters' horses and had ended up in a conversation with someone who had family attending the University of Wyoming and suggested that I check it out.  I had not heard of, investigated, or applied to UW previously but she raved about the atmosphere at UW. After CSU was an immediate no-go, we drove straight over to Laramie from Colorado because I really had nothing to lose! Pretty much the second I stepped onto campus I knew I needed to go to school here. I walked around Prexy’s for 5 minutes and my decision was absolutely made. I had an indescribable feeling of certainty that I was exactly where I needed to be. The campus was so beautiful, and we spoke to a few people in the Union who were overwhelmingly friendly and helpful. That night I went home, applied, and then patiently spent the next few weeks waiting for the decision.

 

 

Making the Big Decision  

I was so happy when I got accepted UW, and thanks to generous scholarship offers, I knew it would be feasible for me to come here so I committed immediately. Funnily enough, I was also accepted to Ohio State the following week after I had committed to UW. Although my decision to come to UW was mostly easy because of that certain feeling I had on campus, I still struggled with a lot of fear of missing out on things going on back home. By choosing to go out of state, I knew I was choosing to miss important family moments and events. I also considered all the wonderful experiences that going out of state would lead me to. Now that I’m here, I have found that I am able to travel home about the same amount as my friends who stayed in Ohio, and when something important happens at home, like a wedding, I have always found a way back! You just need to decide what is going to be a priority for you. 

 

There is a lot to be afraid of if you’re thinking about attending an out-of-state school. But for me, the idea of regretting not coming out of state and missing out on “what could have been” significantly outweighed that fear. When making such a huge choice I think it’s important to know yourself extremely well and know what is most important to you. It’s also beyond important to filter out anyone else's opinions on your decision. I had an immense amount of outside noise from many people in my life who were not fully supportive of me moving out of state, as well as many people who doubted me. For me, this only added to my desire to come out of state - I love proving people wrong! And if you’re anything like me, you may be one of few people from your high school who go out of state. And not just out of state, but clear across the country! 

 

So, with my choice made, and my high school graduation rapidly approaching, I did not have much time to figure out the logistics of moving across the country. Something I haven’t mentioned yet: during my senior year my parents were in the process of selling my childhood home and moving to Florida. So, we needed to be fully moved out of our house at the beginning of July. To avoid moving all my stuff from Ohio to Florida, and then Florida to Wyoming, I decided to move in with my sister who lived in Colorado for the second half of the summer. I packed pretty much only what could fit in my truck, and was on my way to Colorado! When I arrived, I immediately started exploring. My sister lived about 45 minutes from Fort Collins, so I spent a lot of time there, and did a lot of hiking at Horsetooth Reservoir, Devils Backbone, and so many other fun spots. My sister and her husband also took me sightseeing to all their favorite places like Cameron Pass and Poudre Canyon. Coming from Ohio to Colorado was such a huge culture shock and it's so crazy to think how different two states could be. I remember thinking the drivers in Colorado were a lot crazier than my hometown, but I have since gotten used to it. As well as the stunning views very casually everywhere, you go. There aren’t many places where you can see a beautiful view pretty much everywhere you go but Laramie and the surrounding areas are definitely some of them!

 

Advice for Those Coming to UW From Out of State 

The best piece of advice I can offer to anyone making a choice to go to school out of state or not would have to be to choose with your heart, as cheesy as that may sound. Not every decision you make must be backed with logic and reason, sometimes your intuition just tells you what to do, and for me, I always listen!

 

Moving out West was an extremely exciting and a really wonderful period of growth in my life. That August, I celebrated my 18th birthday and moved into the dorms. Dorm life can be a really hard adjustment especially if you aren't used to sharing a bedroom with someone else! Everyone is trying to find their routine at the same time and work around each other when you first move in. For me, I had spent the last couple of years as the only child in my house. Both of my older sisters had moved out, so I was not used to living in a busy place but if you let yourself relax about all of the chaos it really isn’t so bad!

 

An important piece of advice for your first few weeks of school: make as many friends as you can and really put yourself out there. I made the mistake of meeting a few people, sticking with them, and not making an effort to meet more people. Later, it turned out that they weren’t the kind of people I wanted to be friends with, but I really had no one else that I knew here... so definitely make the extra effort! I have found that the people in Laramie are some of the kindest, and hardest working people you will ever meet, but you must put yourself out there to find them. Luckily, everyone wants to make friends during the first few weeks of school, so take advantage of that. 

 

 

The first few weeks of classes can also be hard trying to balance a brand-new schedule with making friends and learning your way around town. A lot of people also feel the most homesick during this time, but I think I was at an advantage because I had left home a couple months prior. I definitely feel like once you get past actually moving into your new home and settling into your classes, you've made it past the hardest part of moving out of state. 

 

Another piece of advice I would offer to anyone making a move to Laramie for the upcoming school year - start applying for jobs about a month before you actually get to campus if you are planning to work! Jobs fill up shockingly fast at the start of every school year, so if there's a particular job you want to work during the semester, secure it early! The job and internship opportunities on campus are a great place to start, and I was able to find my previous and current internship using the UW Career Services. Having a job in college is also a great way to force yourself into better time management skills and I have really appreciated working throughout my college career.

 

 

The Benefits of Living in Laramie 

Living in Laramie puts you in a really amazing proximity to experience a bunch of western America. I have lived in Laramie for about 2.5 years now, and I have seen SO many places I would have never been able to if I had stayed in Ohio. I have also developed a love for hiking, camping, fishing, and all things outdoors. I have also gotten to explore so much of Northern Colorado and found my all-time favorite camping spot in Cowdry, Colorado- Mt. Independence. I have taken trips/camped in Estes Park, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, and through my travels, I have seen most of the state of Wyoming. Laramie also has so much to offer within a 20–30-minute radius, and I have spent countless hours exploring Medicine Bow, Curt Gowdy, and Vedauwoo. It's crazy to think that I had never heard of any of these places prior to moving here but now they're a staple in my weekly routine! 

 

I also had the opportunity to move to Montana last year and live there for four months through the spring semester. This was for a job opportunity, but because of UW’s flexible online school option for my degree, I was able to continue my courses from Bozeman Mt. and got to experience so much of Montana as well. If you are interested in National Parks or just being outside, I can honestly say that coming to UW should be your first choice. By going to college out of state, you are giving yourself a way to explore a brand-new part of the country with people your age, and it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity.