I know that when school teachers and counselors tell you about college, you just can't wait to go. You're so excited about going someplace new and you're all on your own. No parents to tell you to do your homework, no parents to tell you "no", and definitely no parents telling you to go to bed on time. Almost complete freedom. Well there are some kids who can't really go away to the dorms, some by choice and some not. Some students decide to go to the college in the town that they live in and save money by living at home. The others however, don't really have a choice. They could be going to community college, or they just couldn't afford it. Living on campus can cost a fortune and some families just can't swing it.

Living at home isn't a bad thing, but it isn't exactly the most fun thing. The perks of living at home, its more than likely rent free. There aren't exactly a lot of cheap, available apartments when you live in a college town, like Muncie with Ball State. Then if you find one, its probably an apartment complex that leases to only Ball State students because they are running out of room in dorms, and they can't build a new building for dorms at the snap of their fingers. Its hard finding a place to live, so why not live at home rent free? Also you get a lot more home cooked meals. Your not stuck eating ramen noodles or easy mac all the time. You get glorious meals like fried chicken, mom's homemade meatloaf with mashed potatoes, and you can't forget the breakfast on Sunday morning. Bacon, eggs, and hash browns or biscuits and gravy. Also, free laundry.

While there are good things about living at home, you still have your parents watching your every move. Well not your every move, but most of them. Sometimes it feels like you can't really do anything that you would have been able to do at a dorm. Like going to parties or just going out at the end of the week at the wee hours of the morning. Parents will be parents and while your living at home they will try to give you space and let you sorts do what you want, but they are always going to tell you to do your homework or go to bed or tell you "no". As much as we hate it, we kinda have to listen to them since it is their roof. "My house, my rules", the saying we just loved as kids. Not.

It may suck at times living at home. Especially when your hearing about all the fun that your friends and other people are having living away from home, all the people they are meeting, all the parties they are going to, and pretty much doing what you want to. It sucks, but you have to keep reminding yourself that it isn't permanent. Your parents are just giving you more time to get on your own two feet and throwing you out into the world but coming to catch you if you need it. No matter what, your still going to meet new people, your still going to get to go out, and you are going to college. You're starting your life.

Its okay to tell people your living at home. If they give you a look like "well that sucks" or "ha ha your living with your parents" just look at them dead in the eye and tell them "I'm not going to be thousands of dollars in debt." While that isn't the case with everyone, you still get the look from people that isn't a nice look. I know that there are students who work hard and earn every single scholarship that they have to get to go to school for almost free, but there are also the students who go away to school just to get of the town they are in, or because its the school they want to go to. Again, its okay to tell people you live at home. Wear it with pride, your parents love you enough to let you live at home, I mean do you really think that they want an annoying college student stumbling home at the wee hours of the night making the dog bark and waking them up? Probably not. They were probably as excited as you going off to college so they could put in the craft room or a man cave in your old room.

Speaking from experience, living at home isn't so bad. My parents have been so great. Trying to give me the freedom to come and go like I would be at the dorms, but also reining me in when I go to far. Being supportive of my adventures, and teaching me lessons that I wouldn't have in a classroom. Also being supportive in the million time that I changed my major. I'll admit, for a while I felt stuck in one place. I can't afford to live on my own and I can't really afford to live with someone either. So home it was.

I mean its not so bad, free meals, free laundry, free rent. Also I get my own bed.