If you’re like me, you like to save money. And one way that a lot of college students like you and me save money is by living at home during school. If you’re lucky(?) enough to go to college in the same town your parents live in, and you’ve opted to stay at home during at least part of your collegiate studies, you’ll be presented with a unique set of challenges. Your parents’ attitudes may have changed as you’ve gotten older in regards to your independence, and freedom both inside and outside the house is becoming a little more relaxed. Maybe you were already given plenty of free reign in high school and that’s continued into your college years. Or maybe you’re afraid of missing out on the “true college experience” because you don’t live in a dorm. Whatever your situation or worry, here are a few ways that you can get the most out of your school, avoid conflicts with parental units, and still get a great GPA.
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Get employed (or request more hours at work) Getting out of the house will help prevent what I call “cabin fever lite,” that feeling of seeing your family unit too much and getting sick of it. Sometimes it’s hard for parents to grasp that college truly is stressful, and having a part-time job in addition to your studies can help them see that the missing patches of hair and bitten-down nails are justified. Plus, money!
Study on-campus This follows the same logic as above. Getting out of the house more and especially onto campus can aid in you feeling more like you’re truly a part of campus and not just someone who goes there for 2-6 hours every morning or afternoon. Bonus points if you go with a study group!
Be involved At Murray State, everyone is assigned a residence hall, whether you’re a commuter or not. This gives you access to all that goes on in your hall even if you don’t live there! Just like dorm-dwellers, you can be a part of intramural sports, student organizations (like Her Campus!) and the wide variety of clubs available. Check some out here.
Keep your space clean So many conflicts could be avoided if we could only keep our rooms clean! Unfortunately, this seems to be the biggest problem you may have had in high school that will for sure carry over into today. Learn to keep your room clean and I promise that much strife will be gone. Not to mention, keeping up with your belongings and being organized is a great stress reliever. And if you’re one of those people who’re naturally tidy, well, bragging isn’t very cute.
Have quality time with your family Now that you’re an adult who does adult things, the time has come for your parents to see you more in that light. Spending a few good moments with them every day, showing them how you’re growing and maturing, will make memories that both of you will treasure for the rest of your lives.
(Thumbnail by Rowan Heuvel on Unsplash)