"Oh. You live at home."

Whenever I tell people I go to Miami they inevitably ask if I live on campus. They don't even ask that much anymore, they just assume. When I tell them I actually commute, I watch as their smiles begin to turn forced. Admittedly, I know it's probably hard to have a conversation once I've said that because I've eliminated a lot of questions from their repertoire.

I did the dorm thing and the living-at-a-college-that-is-hours-away-from-home ordeal. Having both experiences, I've actually started to prefer living at home to living in the college dorms, or living near campus! There are so many reasons why living at home isn't the cliche that most people make it out to be, and why it actually is amazing. Here are 6 things that I wish people knew about living at home while you're in college:

1. "Oh that's really cool you have someone around to do your laundry."

I guess, except I do my own laundry. Sometimes, if I have an unusually busy week, the clothes from the dryer will magically end up in a basket for me to take back upstairs. But as for folding, taking dirty clothes to the laundry room, putting in the detergent, and moving the clothes to the dryer—that's typically all me. So if my clothes shrink, I have no one else to blame.

2. "You're so lucky you have someone to make your bed!"

See the previous response. I'm actually terrible at making my bed every morning. Since I never do it, I crawl in every night into an unmade bed. Would I love for my bed to be made every night? Sure! But living at home does not make me incapable of taking care of myself.

3. I'm more responsible.

Yes, in my dorm I also was responsible. You kind of have to be. But now that I'm living at home, I have learned how to better budget my time. I now hold a job this year and have a GPA that was higher than I could imagine when I was living in the dorms.

4. Better communication skills.

Living at home, my parents don't require I ask permission before I go places. However, I let them know where I am and about when I will be home, simply as an act of courtesy. They always tell me that it isn't necessary, but I know they secretly really appreciate me being forward with them.

5. Sleep.

At my previous university, I had the worst case of insomnia. It seemed as if every night, I would be considered fortunate to fall asleep before 5 a.m. This carried over for a few months after I got home. It's hard to get a full nights sleep when fire alarms are constantly going off, or when people are drunk and coming home from the bars. Thankfully, the loudest noise that could wake me up in the middle of the night at home is my cat.

6. Chaaaa-chingggg.

OK, while I'm no modern-day Rockefeller, saving money is really nice. It helps that now I have time to hold a part-time job so I can have a steady stream of income.

Living in the college dorms certainly had wonderful perks. However, you can still have a wonderful college experience without living in a dorm! Do not let the ideal college experience make you feel like you are missing out. College is whatever you make it and everyone has unique experiences. For me, living at home is part of what makes college so amazing!