Out-of-state students discuss experiences at Tech

The out-of-state undergraduate enrollment at Texas Tech rises each year. Students share their reasons for moving away from home to attend Tech, and their experiences while being in Texas.

With her parents as alumni of Baylor University, Camryn Mayer lived in Waco when she was younger, until Scottsdale, Arizona, became her home. The junior public relations major said she always assumed she would go to Baylor. With the limited options for big universities in Arizona, Mayer said Baylor stayed on her mind because she was not connecting to any of the schools in Arizona.

One thing that was important to her when looking at colleges was the sports program. Mayer said she wanted to pick a school that was tied to sports and genuinely cared, which is something Texas schools strive in.

Once her older brother was admitted to Tech, Mayer visited multiple times and started looking at what the school had to offer.

“It fit me perfectly,” she said. “I would say just across the board with the programs that we have and how fast-paced moving that Tech is, it puts us a step above a lot of states, including Arizona.”

Mayer said she is really close with her family and high school friends, so she always loves visiting home. After spending a summer away from Arizona, Mayer said she started to feel the pull of Texas, as if she can see a future here.

“Freshman and sophomore year, I would say that I still consider Arizona my home. That’s where I feel the most comfortable,” Mayer said. “Now, I’m into my junior year, and I have thoughts that I need to stay in Texas. That maybe it’s the best place for me.”

Leah Roberts, a senior human development and family studies major, grew up in California. With wanting to live in Texas, the Foothill Ranch native said Tech seemed like a good fit because she felt at home.

“The culture here is pretty much different in every aspect possible. The main thing I noticed is that everyone here is a lot friendlier,” Roberts said.

With over 1,000 miles away from home, she said adapting to Texas was a little weird at first, but it became easy with how welcoming everyone is.

“Breaks are tough because I can never just go home for a single weekend like most people do,” Roberts said.

Visiting California is difficult for breaks and holidays, she said, because of her job. Roberts said she only receives two weeks off for Christmas, two weeks for summer, and then for Thanksgiving and Easter, she does not have time to go home, so she has find other family members to spend time with.

Hunter Johnston, a senior public relations major, is from Parker, Colorado. As Tech alumni, her parents wanted Johnston to attend Tech and asked her to take a tour. Although she did not want to attend Tech at first, Johnston said she fell in love with the college.

“Lubbock and Colorado have a way different feel. The personalities are different, so it’s definitely a culture shock coming from there to here,” Johnston said. “It’s nice because I have a good group of friends in both places, so it’s kind of easy to flip back and forth.”

With majority of Tech students from Texas, Johnston said it is hard sometimes to see her friends closer in location and spending time together. However, she said it is nice being from out-of-state because many people want to travel, so people can always depend on her for a place to stay and a friend to see.

http://www.dailytoreador.com/lavida/out-of-state-students-share-experiences-at-tech/article_45a7bc3e-d800-11e8-bc5d-3f94f5e2f289.html