I know it’s the norm to want to get away from home immediately after you graduate from high school but sometimes it’s not an option. There are many reasons why people decide to stay at home rather than live on campus. Whether it is to save some money or to avoid the residential life drama, it happens. One misconception people have, though, is that by not living on campus, you miss out on having that real college experience. By college experience I don’t mean doing handstands at a kegger, I mean being independent for the first time.
Being independent while at college is something you can do right from your own home. You don’t have to live alone for that to happen. In fact, I’ve experienced this firsthand. In college, away from home, there are two kinds of people (among the many others). There are the Independent Souls, which are the people that actually use the opportunity to spread their wings and make things happen for themselves on their own. Then there are the Trust Fund Babies, which are the ones that live away from home but still live off of their parents’ income, etc. The latter are always easy to find on orientation day, they’re usually the ones who take their parents (no offense). Being a Trust Fund Baby is normal, it just means you take a little more time to detach from the cord. To be honest, I was, sadly, a Trust Fund Baby.
Here’s a few things I learned from my experience of being a TFB (if you don’t know what it is, keep up): – living alone doesn’t make you independent. And that pretty much sums it all up. I moved back in with my parents because I couldn’t afford to live away from home. I got a job for the first time. Guess what? I felt more independent than ever! I was providing for myself for the first time, not living off their money, and it felt awesome. Basically if you want that experience of being independent and being a college student, it’s on you. You can make it happen by making smart choices on your own, taking the reigns of your own life. Even small steps like, I don’t know, getting your driver’s license (guilty), can make you feel free from the parental grip.
For those of you who live alone as Independent Souls, good for you and keep at it. Those of you who live alone as Trust Fund Babies, you’ll get there someday. And last, but not least, those of you who live at home, don’t feel discouraged. You are in college now, you’re an adult, and this is your moment. If you made it thus far, you’re doing pretty damn good. Get a job, get a car, go out, have fun, but make smart choices. This is where your life begins!
**The pictures were taken from: