So you’ve decided to save $6,000 a year by living at home during college. It was an amazing idea at the time, but now you’re suffering from a severe case of FOMO (fear of missing out) by not living in the dorms. Fear not collegiates – we’re here to provide you with some tips and tricks on how to make the most of living at home.
1. Get Involved on Campus
People living in the dorms have an easier time meeting people because they are constantly surrounded by everyone on campus. If you just go to class and come home every day, you’re missing out on a big chunk of campus life. Join a club, go through sorority rush (even if you don’t want to be in a sorority, you’ll meet people!), go to the football games and attend campus events. Try a new sport at the rec or join the Outdoor Program (located behind the rec). Although it might seem scary and out of your comfort zone, keep in mind that college is all about experiencing new things! You’ll never build those life-long friendships until you actually put yourself out there.
2. Spend Time on Campus in General
A lot of the things that people do in college are spontaneous, such as random trips to Pie Hole or a last minute kick back at a friend’s house. If you’re thirty minutes away at home, you’ll be less likely to be able to join in on those last minute plans. So rather than heading home to study, try studying at the library or ask a classmate if you can study in her dorm. It’ll make it easier for the friends you meet to include you if you’re on campus as much as possible. Plus, it will be easier for you to invite some friends to hang out when they realize you’re within walking distance of their dorms!
3.Respect Your Parent’s Wishes
Before the school year begins, set some ground rules and talk with your parents about your expectations for the upcoming school year. You don’t want to be stuck with a 12 AM curfew while all your friends are staying in the dorms! After you’ve compromised to create ground rules and are able to actively respect your parents’ curfew (tough, we know) you’ll be able to prove to them that you are a responsible person and convince them that you’re mature enough to not have to abide by an insane curfew in the first place! Some advice for ground rules? Convince your rents to let you have a sleepover once in a while! If you make some friends who are willing to let you crash at their place, we can guarantee you’ll have an awesome night on campus.