Living in Pennsylvania, is it silly to think about college in Alaska?

Why don’t you get admissions or transfer info from the Universities themselves? Anchorage is certainly going to look and feel different from Pittsburgh.

I have a very close friend who grew up in Philadelphi, went to University in Providence, grad. school in Cambridge and married a lawyer.

They are now living in Anchorage, have two small children and run a law practice from their home. They are out and about, skiing, hiking, fishing for salmon and are very happy.

I’ve always been one of those people to jump at any opportunity that arises that I feel would be a good fit for me. I spent 10 weeks at an internship in eastern Washington, I’m now at grad school in Wyoming (of all places) and I’m going to Antarctica (again) for two and a half months in 12 days. So with all that said, if you think the education will be good, you can afford it (out of state tuition can be a real pain) and you’re ready and willing, then I say go for it.

The hardest part about being so far away from home is being so far away from home. If that makes any sense. I’m almost 26, and there are some nights I wish my parents’ room was right down the hall so I could crawl in and feel safe and secure. But living on you own in a new and exotic place can be really fun. Wyoming winters are similar to Alaskan winters, so get ready for a change. Roads get closed a lot when there are blizzards (which happen more often than you think), and winters are looooong. Very long. Especially in Alaska where you’ll have five hours of daylight or less during the cold winter months. Do some research on living in Alaska and decide if that is the right decision for you.

have you ever lived away from home for an extended period before? if you haven’t, and you’re very closely tied to your friends and family (obviously, but i mean in a “can’t live without them” sort of way), it might be quite difficult for you, at least at first, emotionally.

@deni: What is your political POV?

First of all, make sure that your feelings about Alaska are based on reality and not some fantasy of wilderness living.

Of the two you mentioned, I would choose Anchorage over Fairbanks, because it does not have the climate extremes that Fairbanks does. In Fairbanks, staying alive in the winter is hard work. You must take a lot of precautions. It uses a lot of your time and energy.

Also, talk about cost of living. It is very high in Alaska, because absolutely everything has to be shipped in.

Because of the weather, Alaska has a high suicide rate and a high rate of heavy drinking and alcoholism.

That said, I considered the time I lived there magical. It is spectacular in terms of natural beauty and unmatched.

It would probably be very difficult emotionally to be far away from “home.”
However- college is for exploring and getting out of your comfort zone. You may never have this opportunity again. Go for it.

I think you should visit Alaska first, just to see how it is.
And bundle up.

No reason not to if that’s what you want to do. It sounds like a great experience.

But do consider travel. Is your family in Pittsburgh? For every school break, you are going to have a very long day’s travel in each direction. For short breaks such as Thanksgiving you probably won’t go home at all. This shouldn’t be a deciding factor, but you should be aware of it and not be surprised.

You will also have new friends and may get invited home with some of them for breaks.

[Edit] Visiting first is a really good idea. And maybe not just in the summertime. If what you really want to do is visit Alaska, maybe you shouldn’t make a long-term commitment.

Silly? I wouldn’t say that. I don’t know whether it’s a smart financial decision but it isn’t silly. One of my (ex) classmates lives in Juneau, Alaska and he did his first year of college in Waterloo, Canada. The pictures he posts on Facebook are beautiful though.

I’ve been to U of A Anchorage! I’ve never been to Fairbanks, but I can tell you that UAA is a gorgeous campus with great buildings. I did summer research there last summer and the summer before, so I know that the biology building in particular is awesome. The other buildings I saw were the student union, the library, and the bookstore, all of which were modern and nice. The suite-style dorms are also really great, I lived in them for both the two summers I was in Alaska.

The reason I’d personally choose Anchorage over Fairbanks is that the winter is bound to be milder. Granted UAA has tunnels that connect every academic building (So UAF must too!), but you still want to be able to walk somewhere if you really need to without dying. This is easier in Anchorage than Fairbanks. (Remember you will also have to invest in GOOD boots and other winter outerwear!) Anchorage is also an adorable city. There’s actually some stuff to do there! Movies, coffee shops, etc. It’s little, but cute.

Another thing to consider about Alaska. The winter will not only be cold, but DARK. The sun doesn’t rise (completely rise, that is) for a month or two. You can look up the exact dates, I bet. The summer will be mild (high 60s to 70s in Anchorage – not as cold as most people imagine!) and BRIGHT. The sun will not set (again, completely set that is) for a month or two. This will be more extreme in Fairbanks. If you think you’ll get depressed if you have to endure a month (or more at UAF) of darkness, rethink your plan. I’ve only been to Alaska in the summer, so I thought it was great. By the end of June in Anchorage, it’ll get dusky around 3am, then it’s bright again by 5am. The does lead to an annoying 9pm-10pm period where the sun is always directly in your eyes while driving west, but it’s worth it. Midnight frisbee anyone? Glow-in-the-dark frisbee not required!

not at all. it is however, silly to think you shouldn’t do what you really want.

Go for it! You only live once and can always go back to PA.

Personally, I would want to go to school in Hawaii rather than Alaska because I hate snow. I ended up settling for Miami, which was almost as good. My parents were living in South America, so it still wasn’t as if I could scoot home for the weekend.

One thing to consider in keeping costs down, is how much stuff do you really have to take? I arrived in Miami with two large suitcases only, knowing that I would be in a dorm so I wouldn’t need furniture. I basically packed as if I was going to camp, with sheets, blankets, a pillow, my clothes, and some photos of my family. Everything else came to me as I lived there, either from the campus bookstore, local stores, or dumpsters.

Is there any money for you to visit Alaska first before you make the big jump? It can soothe your fears if you are already familiar with the area and the people. Also, Alaska is a wonderful place to live for someone who prizes being a rugged outdoors type (even if you don’t go do anything really rugged outdoors most of the time).

I would say go for it. The most you would really have to spend there would be the years needed to get your degree. Thus if you really hated it you could move back to PA after graduation. But then if it turns out you love it, you would be all set.

I would definitely agree with visiting Alaska before you decide to move there – it would be a drastic change from Pittsburgh, and you should make sure that’s really what you want, before you make a one or two year commitment to living there.

Speaking as a Pittsburgher who lived in San Francisco for 7 years, I think you’d definitely enjoy it there – there are a lot of things about SF that are very different from Pgh., but there are also enough similarities between the two cities that I felt instantly comfortable there. Ultimately I ended up moving back to the ‘burgh because the cost of living in SF was too high to stay there forever, but for a college student, there are definitely ways to keep your costs down and afford living in the city. Is there a particular university in SF that you’re thinking about?

One good way to check out colleges in another state is through the National Student Exchange program. Basically, if you’re enrolled at a state university that’s part of the consortium, you can go to another participating college at in-state rates.

@sdeutsch – no, no particular college in san francisco. but when i was there last month i spent a lot of time in berkeley. i kinda like it there. for a resident its not very expensive, so i considered moving there for a year then going but i really just dont think i can afford it. by the way, GO BURGH. woooo!

all these answers are excellent by the way, they’ve made me think about several things i wouldn’t have.

im currently trying to convince my mom to take a trip there with me in the next few months. hopefully that works out. i think it would be wise.

@deni CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD CHEESEBOARD

NO! When it comes to school, you shouldn’t let location hinder you. I live in Utah, and I’m starting school in New York this month! DO what you feel.

one of my very good friends moved to Alaska from PA this fall. He loves it here. Anchorage is better than fairbanks in my opinion. Fairbanks can get to like 50 below, but the summers are pretty nice. I currently attend the University of Alaska, and all the professors are really nice, and the classes don’t usually exceed 70 people, so there is not much chance for you to get lost in the crowd.