For Ryan Miller, home is where the heart is. It’s also where his family, his friends and his big screen television are.

Miller, a junior mechanical engineering major, said he heads home at least twice a month, usually to do his laundry, go to work or take advantage of the personal luxuries not afforded to him at NIU. He also said the lack of exciting happenings around DeKalb has affected his decision to pack his bags for the weekend.

“There’s nothing to do in DeKalb,” Miller said. “There’s more to do than just go to the movies at other schools.”

Junior journalism major Erin Bradley said enjoying a home-cooked meal with her parents was part of her weekend plans more often than not last year. This semester, she is a community adviser and is given only 10 days to spend away from campus. Like Miller, she takes comfort in being away from the college life for a few days.

“I just like home,” Bradley said. “It’s comfortable getting away from school, because school is crazy and I need a break.”

On the other side of the student spectrum is junior pre-communication major Nate Hunt. He said growing up in suburban Belvidere, population of around 25,000, helped his transition to DeKalb.

“Personally, I don’t find DeKalb to be boring,” Hunt said. “I usually know enough people to know what is going on during the weekends and find something to go to or be a part of.”

Hunt said joining student organizations gives him enough places to go and people to see that the only time he does head home is on holidays and when he has to.

“You’ve got to go out there and make things happen for yourself,” said Director of Admissions Bob Burk. “It’s all a matter of getting involved and giving it a chance. If you don’t give it a chance, you’re not going to have a lot of fun.”

Seventy-five percent of students live on campus or in the DeKalb-Sycamore area, but the percentage of those who choose to go home on the weekends is nowhere near as high, Burk said. The groups that tend to go home most are first-semester freshmen who have yet to acclimate themselves to the climate of NIU, he said.

Burk scoffs at the claims that NIU is a “suitcase school,” adding that while home is still where the heart is, school is where the students should be.