For most college students, the classic route to go is to live in a dorm. However, since SF State is comprised mostly of communters, a large number of us live at home. I am one of those commuters, and even though it is nice to live at home, sometimes I find myself imagining what dorm life would be like or dreaming up the furniture configuration of an apartment. For the rest of you that live in the dorms, you may be thinking, ‘dorm life isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Living at home sounds fantastic!’ Just the same with living in a dorm, there are cons to living at home. And to lend a different perspective, let me inform you a bit about the pros and cons of staying at home.
Cons: Living at home during college is nice, until you remember that you still living with your parents. Now, for those select few who say they really miss their parents while away, let me tell you, it gets a bit annoying being a young adult and still having to abide by the rules of the house, and the whole, ‘when you’re under my roof, you do what I say’ spiel. It’s like, I’m 20 and I should be able to do what I want to do in my house. I also still feel like I’m in middle school again sometimes, with recurring nagging and reminders such as; ‘Did you finish your homework?’, ‘Did you remember to return your library book?’, ‘Did you talk to your advisor yet?’, ‘Did you get your tutiton paid?’. Again, I’m an adult now, and I can manage my schoolwork. I’m not 11 years old again with a short attention span. I also can’t leave the house, without hearing a full inquiry of when I’ll be back, where I’ll be going, and what I’ll be doing. I thought we ditched the whole curfew thing when I turned 18, and do I really have to tell you where I’m going? Another pitfall is that sometimes I get stuck with menial chores such as taking out the trash or having to fold my Dad’s laundry. I mean, I realize I would have to do chores and cleaning too if I lived in a dorm, but at least I could do it on my own time, and I wouldn’t have to sort my Dad’s socks. The commute isn’t always fun either. It would be so much nicer to just roll out of bed, 20 minutes before class and just take a 5 minute walk to campus. Instead I have to get up at 5:40 a.m. to catch a 6:35 a.m. bus, then transfer buses at the bridge, where after 45 minutes to an hour I finally get to class. And lastly, I sometimes feel like I’m missing out on the classic college experience. I’m not around as many people my age, so I don’t really have that many oppertunities to chat or make new friends, and if I want to go to a play or sporting event on the weekend, I usually don’t, since I don’t want to make the long trek to school for just one event. I’m not experiencing independence, and a change of scenery, and a chance to further explore the wonderful city our school is in.
Pros: If my list of cons sounds unattractive, then let me offer up a few pros to change the tide. The best thing about living at home is that I have my own room. For free. This is the big difference. Even though commuting does get pricey, with the increase in bridge toll, and parking fees, I am still saving a ton of money. Also, I get to keep my own furniture and privacy, and have my own bathroom, and peace and quiet. I don’t have to put up with the ruckus you may hear when living in a dorm, such as partying, blasting music, and other things. I’m not forced to share my room with a stranger, and I’m free to put up as many fangirl posters as I please, without being judged. I also don’t have to pay for a meal plan, laundry, gym membership, and I’m less apt to gain the dreaded ‘Freshman 15’. And the seceond best pro about living at home is of course the home cooking. There is nothing better than coming home after a long day and being greeted with a lovely dish of spaghetti and meatballs for instance. Also it’s nice from time to time to see my old classmates from High School around town, which puts a smile on my face. When starting such a new and different endeavor such as college, it is nice to still have something familiar to go home to. When it feels like everything is changing, it is nice to be able to still call my home, home.