Confession: My first year of college I lived in a tiny room with a great view and a great roommate, but I hated it. The thought of living at college was super important to me during high school, until a decision had to be made as to what college I would be going to. I never really thought I would end up staying in New Jersey, but here I am, happy I made the decision to go to a school only 30 minutes from my house. Another confession: I hated living at school so much, I am now commuting. Gasp, shocking. I've come under a lot of heat as to why I am living at home, so here is a shout out to commuters on why living at home can sometimes be better than living at school.
My bed
I have my own full size bed, with my comforter, six pillows and all the room I could possibly want to roll around in as I sleep. No one is sitting on my bed due to lack of seating. I am laying in my own comfortable bed.
Peace and Quiet
While yes, my house can be noisy at times, it is nothing compared to a dorm building at 2:30 a.m. on a Thursday night. I tried my best not to sleep in my dorm past Wednesday, but on the days that I had to, it was impossible with the constant yelling in and outside the hall.
Food
I don't need to go into the blistering cold on a five or ten minute walk to get dinner every night. Instead, I get my moms home cooked meals. On top of that, I don't need to worry about gaining the freshmen 15.
My Car
…and the ability to go anywhere, whenever I want. I no longer worry about paying for parking or for my parents to pick me up from school. I am independent and can drive back and forth, to and fro, as I please.
Work
I get to work at home and make money. Most college students complain about being broke and are unable to work because they live on campus and may not have a car or the ability to travel. Commuters are able to work and get the benefits of going to school. I am very happy I don't have to live on ramen.
Money
I am saving a ton of money just by commuting to school. Now I can work and put money towards school so I won't have a lot of debt when I get out. And, I'll save close to $10,000, just by living at home.
I can understand why some people prefer living at school, however, for me the best option was to live at home. While I have to make a 30 minute commute every couple of days, I still prefer living at home, sleeping in my bed, and cuddling with my dogs. I strongly encourage all incoming freshmen to look at both options of commuting and dorming and decide what is best individually, even if everyone tells you that you are making a mistake.
