For anyone, attending college provides a unique experience that leaves people with the happiness of life-long memories they'll cherish forever. Whether one decides to attend an out-of-state university or a community college, the college life offers amazing opportunities. Many students live on campus or decide to split the rent of a house with friends. While some enjoy the luxury of living with friends, others, like me, live at home with their parents. This situation creates an interesting environment with both its advantages and disadvantages. Taken from my personal experience, there are several pros and cons surrounding a person that chooses to live at home during college.
The Cons:
1. Ain't no freedom bells ringin'.
So you are 18 and just graduated high school, which means that you can finally do anything you want, right? That is unless you still live with your parents. Living at home means that it is their house, their rules. As college offers these newly found freedoms and the opportunity to find independence, it can be difficult for those with their parents still hovering. If your parents maintain the expectation that you can't have too many friends over and must follow an early curfew, while still treating you like a child, it can easily undermine your freedom. Therefore, you may feel like you are stuck high school waiting to finally taste independence.
2. What social life?
When you've spent the entire day commuting in rush hour traffic and attending class with a 45 minute lunch gap spent studying- a nap sounds good. Literally for any college student, a nap is always a good idea. At the end of the day you just want to drive home and relax. It's hard to find motivation to hang around school and try to make new friends. While you can talk to classmates in class, it is a lot more difficult to grow and maintain relationships outside the classroom. Therefore, it can be frustrating to build friendships, especially when you don't live down the hall or eat every meal on campus.
3. Stuck in limbo.
Although college is a clear indication that your life is taking an amazing start in the right direction, there is a weird feeling of dissatisfaction. Sure, you are doing everything right: school, part-time job, volunteering, etc.- but there is a sense that you've accomplished nothing. It seems as though others are progressing around you either in their social life or careers, yet you feel stuck. Between living at home and having a crappy minimum wage job to keep your student debt afloat, you are probably stuck in limbo.
The Pros:
1. Still broke, but not #CollegeBroke.
With the tuition required to attend college, anyone would find themselves in some money trouble. However, if students live at home with their parents, they can easily save an immense amount of money that they would have to borrow through student loans. By living with your parent's they're likely to cover your rent, pay most of the bills, buy the groceries, and even help you out with other stuff once in a while. Thanks mom and dad, for helping me not be #collegebroke.
2. Momma's homemade cookin'.
It is amazing to know that a cup of top ramen and a box of stale Wheat Thins are not the only meal options waiting for me when I come home. Walking home to a delicious home cooked meal from my parents is deliciously scrumptious. Avoiding the yucky cafeteria food served every single week, I have a serious appreciation for my momma's homemade cookin'. Along with not eating the same food, it is also easier to eat healthy- thus not surviving on Cocoa Puffs.
3. Family is everything!
At the end of the day, it's your family waiting at your doorstep. Your family makes the bad days kind of fade away and the good ones seem to last forever. College is a difficult transition and having your parents there with you might actually make it a lot better. Knowing that your loved ones are in the next room is a comforting feeling. While a Skype call is great, you mom and dad's hug are so much better.
