I think I speak for a majority of college students when I say that we all get to a point during our four years (some of us earlier than others) where we want nothing more than to get a puppy. I mean, c’mon, they’re fluffy and adorable, love you unconditionally, and are truly a built-in best friend! But what a lot of college students don’t understand before they commit to getting a pet is just how much goes into raising one. That’s why I suggest buying a plant (or six) and keeping up with them for at least a year before deciding on adopting an animal.
Here’s the thing, I would give nothing more than to have a dog right now. I’m a junior in college living 1,200 miles from home and recently single. It would bring me so much joy to come home to a fluffy, slobbery greeting with a big, wagging tail. However, I can also say with the utmost certainty that I am in no way ready to take on that much responsibility in my life. To test out and see if, and when, I would be able to take care of a living thing other than myself, I got three plants. I purchased a small snake plant and two large philodendron house plants (a fancy way of saying viney indoor plants) for a test run. The lady at the nursery explained the amount of water they needed and how often I needed to water them, as well as where to place them around my apartment for optimal sunlight. I figured this would be easy, right? How hard is it to watch over three stationary, leafy additions to my home?
Boy, was I in for a newsflash. All three plants had different watering schedules, necessary water volumes, and required amounts of sunlight. I found myself stressing over yellowing and browning leaves while thinking I was doing everything right, and forgetting the exact day of the week to water each one an embarrassing number of times. I grew attached to the health of these plants because I wasn’t going to be the only member of my family with a brown thumb. I’d set reminders, buy bug sprays, and adjust the shades over my window for optimal sunlight. At first, I thought I was being overly obsessive but concluded that all of this was necessary to ensure the lasting health of my new little projects.
This long-winded story is my way of explaining that the amount of time and effort I put into attempting to grow these house plants is infinitesimally smaller than what would have happened if I had adopted a puppy. A dog is far more expensive, time-consuming, and exact. You can’t miss a meal for a puppy like you can miss watering a plant…or skip a walk, or leave them in your apartment alone for too long, or leave to go out of town without prior planning. The goal of adopting a dog shouldn’t just be to make your own life better, but the quality of life of your new companion as well. And taking on that responsibility in college may end up doing more harm than good for both you and your pet. So I’m not shutting down the idea of having a puppy in college- plenty of people do it successfully. Just get a few plants first, and see how good of a plant parent you can be before agreeing to be a puppy parent.