As college students, we have the decision to either stay at home and drive to campus every day, or to live on campus where you are closer to your classes. Here are pros and cons for both off campus and on campus accommodations.
Off-Campus
Pros:
1. You have a car
If you have your car, you can go anywhere at any time without having to depend on someone to give you a ride. If you want ice cream or Taco Bell all you have to do is get in your car and drive there.
2. You get home cooked meals
I love home cooked meals. I spend a lot of time at school so I spend too much money on my lunch and dinner. But when the food is homemade, I don't have to spend anything on food, and my mom cooks the food for me when I can't.
3. Don't have to walk far to class when it is cold outside
During the winter, it is nice to have a car on campus so I can drive to school and park as close as I can to the building where my class is. No cold bus stop waiting or long walks across campus from my dorm.
4. Get to see your family
The nicest thing about being at home is that I get to see my family all the time. I might not be able to spend as much time with them as I would like due to continuous studying, but I do get to see them more often than someone who lives on campus. There is a whole different feeling to college when you don't have to miss the ones you love.
Cons:
1. Traffic
Two words: Rush hour. Sitting in traffic feels like I am stuck on the road forever. Can I just say, I am never as frustrated about anything than I am while driving.
2. Parking
Finding parking is the hardest part of commuting. Many times I get to class late because there is absolutely no parking on campus.
3. Curfew
Living at home with your family can have its negative side. I am 21 and I still have a curfew.
4. Pay for gas
The biggest problem commuting to school is getting money to fill up that gas tank. Driving to and from campus everyday can really run your tank (and wallet) dry.
On Campus
Pros:
1. Pick your own food....if you dare
Home cooked meals can be great but at the same time you are more or less obliged to eat the meals that your mother provides for you. You cannot pick out your own food unless you eat out and you have to pretend to like mom’s cooking, even if you do not like it, because you love your mom. Picking out your own food and cooking your own meals makes you appreciate the finer things. Through burnt crisp meals that almost burn down your apartment, you will acquire a healthy taste for food and learn how to never make that again.
2. No curfew
As a teenager, you have to be home at a certain time or else you will be in serious trouble. As a student who lives on campus, the curfew that once limited you is no longer there.
3. You are near your classes.
The proximity to a classroom can make all the difference in the world especially when you miss your 8 a.m. wake up call. You can simply just run to your class, and not worry about having to get stuck in traffic or find a place to park before arriving even more late to class.
4. Independence
On-campus living slowly brings you away from the comfort of home and makes you realize the responsibilities of being an adult. You realize how good your parents were at making adult life look easy and how you should have given them more credit for what they did for you.
Cons:
1. Personal Transportation
Many students do not have a car simply because they do not have money for gas and/or they simply cannot afford to finance or lease a car. Also, a lot of time universities do not even allow cars to stay at school within your first couple years or it is too expensive for a parking pass.
2. You can have a bad roommate.
Unless you choose who you want to live with, you may end up with a bad roommate. I just came home from classes and yes those are his/her dishes in the sink [exasperated sigh followed by colloquial yelling].
3. You are there all the time.
You just want to get away from campus. You're on campus so much you dream about every nook and cranny of it and wonder to yourself: "What's out beyond this lovely campus that I've dreamt about for the last few months?
4. You do not get to see your family as much.
This in itself can be one the hardest things to bear. When you’re away from your family for more than a few weeks, generally, you start to miss your family and the comfort of being at home, even if your annoying siblings are there.
Whatever you choose to do when you go to college, both have its ups and downs, but it's all about what works best for you. For those of you who commute, keep up the good work, getting up earlier to get to class because you know you're going to be stuck in traffic or might not be able to find parking. For those of you who live on campus, good luck with walking in the snow this winter.
