Pros and cons of living at home

College is typically the point in a student's life that means freedom from their parents and their first time living alone. Whether its cost of living or just not being ready for this next step, many students are making the decision to live at home. While this is not the ideal situation for most students, there are a lot of benefits of staying at home.

As a student who chose to stay home for college, I feel like I have some pretty good insight into the at-home life. I chose to stay at home to avoid the lofty on campus living cost; also, I was only 17 when I started college so in all honesty, I simply wasn’t ready to be on my own. There are several reasons that someone may choose to stay at home but those were mine. It's not an easy decision to make, but like everything in life, there are ups and downs.

Let’s start by talking about the pros. The first obvious pro is the cost. For most colleges, the cost of living in a dorm is larger than the cost of tuition, so cutting out this cost, the amount of money you spend on college would be significantly less. The next pro that I think is very compelling is that you get to see your pets every day! It's a proven fact that spending time with animals reduces stress and simply makes you happier. If you are living on campus, your ability to see pets is extremely limited. When you live at home, you get to see your furry friends every day. Okay, time for some quick pros: homemade meals instead of campus food, no communal bathrooms that often accompany dorm life, no random roommates assignments, no worries of being interrupted by loud neighbors while studying. I could go on and on, but at some point, we have to get to the downsides of at-home living.

The most significant downside of living at home is that you don’t have a group of automatic friends. Obviously, people have bad roommate experience, but moving into a dorm with people you've never met forces you to make connections on campus. When you stay at home, it can be difficult to make friends and form connections with people outside of your classes. Another con, you still live with your parents. While this has negative connotations in our society, it can also put a strain on your relationship. After 18 years of living with your parents, most people are ready to get out, no matter how much you love each other or how strong your relationship is. Finally, it can also be more difficult to get involved in campus activities. Unless you already live close to your campus, at-home students typically have a bit of a commute to get to class. Because of this, it can be tricky to get involved in campus activities.

When considering whether or not to stay at home during college, keeping these pros and cons in mind can be helpful. You also have to consider your own personal situation and how this decision could affect you. There is no one way to get through college and no one kind of college experience. Consider your options and make the best decision for you and your family!