Should I Stay or Should I Go?

When researching background information related to our proposed question, “Is the true proportion of students who plan to remain living in Ohio within the next 10 years greater than the true proportion of students who plan to move out of state within the next 10 years?” we discovered that there are many facets for a person to consider when making this decision.

To begin, we could not find any evidence of similar studies that have been done. For our study, we selected the time span of ten years because if students plan on attending college after graduating high school, they should be finished, or almost finished with all of their college education after ten years (depending on career choice). However, not every student plans on attending college or a university after high school. In fact, according to governing.com , 80% of all students in Ohio graduated high school in the 2010-2011 school year. More specifically to our study’s population, North Olmsted's graduation rate in the 2009 school year was 96.9%, with 19.7% graduating with honors. Not to mention, many of these students may have enrolled in PSEOP classes or AP courses, and earned college credit while still in high school, or opted to go to Polaris, a trade school, rather than a university. Whether or not students receive financial aid either from scholarships or government loans also plays a big role in their decision to stay in Ohio or not. With the increasing costs of attaining a higher education, many graduates find themselves in debt that takes years to pay back. In 2011 in Ohio alone, there was a 5% increase from the year before in college students with debt averaging $26,000. Owing this much money right out of school could deter students from moving out of state.

One of the main factors that decide where a student will end up once they graduate college is whether or not they can find a job. Ohio has a 7% unemployment rate, which is slightly lower than the national average. If Ohio’s economy is thriving after graduation, the student is more likely to stay because it will be easier to find a job. These are factors that a student right now would not be able to predict. If they are planning to move out of Ohio now they might change their mind depending on whether or not they are able to find a job.

The cost of living also plays a role if a student will stay in Ohio or not. The cost of living will greatly affect the lifestyle of the student depending on what type of job they have.Ohio’s cost of living is much lower than California’s, but is higher than Wyoming or Pennsylvania.

Another factor, having nothing to do with money or job placement, is family. If a person is close with their family and they all live in Ohio, that person is more likely to stay close by. However, factors such as Ohio’s fickle weather may lure some students to warmer states down south. Or, perhaps students’ desires to travel and experience new scenery will influence their decisions. Overall, the reasoning behind the choice to move out of Ohio or not will vary due to the personal interest of each student.