"Oh you still live at home?" That's something I get a lot. It can be degrading a lot of the time, but there are some things that not everyone can understand about what it's really like to go to college in your hometown. The stereotypical person who still lives at home in college has a negative connotation to be a failure. We are said to be living off of our parents, and unsuccessful. Coming from someone who made the decision to stay at home for college, I beg to differ. There are several myths about staying home for college; here are three.

1. Your parents give you everything.

Some people say living at home is an easy way out to just live off your parents and not have to work hard to support yourself. I know that in my case that is not true. Those of us that stayed home for school do in fact have financial obligations. Although, my parents help me out with a place to sleep and eat, I do have responsibilities such as chores around the house, also I work 20 to 30 hours a week, and am responsible for paying for everything I want to do. This includes my sorority, which is practically the equivalent to paying rent each month. I pay for my gas and I pay for daily expenses, just as everyone else does. Having a job isn't optional, it is part of life that isn't exclusive to those that moved out or moved away.

2. You were too afraid to meet new people and go somewhere new.

I really hate this one. I chose to stay home for school because I plan to study abroad and financially, that would not be possible with out-of-state tuition. I also wouldn't be able to afford things like my sorority, which has allowed me to meet hundreds of new people, and brought me out of my comfort zone. No matter what school you are at, it is up to the individual to step out and make friends or get involved on campus. Choosing the college in your hometown doesn't exempt you from that.

3. You weren't smart enough to get into any other schools.

I know several people, including myself that have always put academics first, and still choose to go to their closest university. I personally was involved in over five clubs in high school, student council, several sports, and maintained above a 4.0 GPA with my honors and AP credits. That is not to brag, but an example of how I had the opportunities to go elsewhere, but felt that the university in my hometown was the best fit for me, not only financially, but had the academic majors I wanted to explore.

The stereotypes of living at home and going to college in your hometown have proven to be wrong time and time again, but not everyone will agree on the controversy over staying home or leaving for college. The most important thing is that no one knows anyones full reasoning for any decisions they make, including what school they choose. We all have many factors in weighing out what school to choose, and whether it's Harvard, or your local university, at least the student is seeking to further their education. After all, does their decision affect you?