Choosing To Stay At Home Or Move Away Is As Difficult As Picking A School

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

MOVING AWAY

No longer confronted with curfews and daily expectations; instead you are confronted with laundry, grocery shopping, or cafeteria food. You learn to pay bills, make appointments, and attend class independently, which helps you develop responsible habits before having to actually live on your own.

A very helpful matchmaker when applying for residence is the sign up form, which asks for lifestyle habits such as sleeping and studying times, and personal habits such as smoking and loudness. This form is used to divide students into buildings and rooms with people who they are deemed to be compatible with allowing them to make friends more easily and avoid conflict.

Just like in high school you’ll need to deal with peer pressure. Living with a large group of people often means it will be difficult to go against the crowd, especially without the benefit of having home to retreat to every day. Another disadvantage is the cost of paying increasingly expensive prices for on-campus housing. You will most likely also spend more cash than you would otherwise on entertainment and food. However, most students who have chosen to live on residence say the same thing; that the social benefits outweigh the financial consequences.

STAYING AT HOME

There is also a lot to be said for the prospect of living at home while attending school; the most common appeal being cost efficiency.

Without the cost of rent or residence putting a dent in your bank account there is more financial security attached with staying at home and taking advantage of your parents’ food, car and laundry facilities. Some argue that living in residence will give you a better social life; that friends seem to fall into your lap, however, these friends are new and untested. An advantage of staying at home is that it is easier to maintain strong friendships with your tried-and-true high school best friends.

Living at home can sometimes make it easier to maintain good grades. With less distraction, and less peer pressure, your marks tend to suffer less dramatically than if you lived in residence.

Note: You can get involved with on-campus activities whether you to choose to stay at home or move away. Take advantage of the various societies and clubs to get involved in issues that interest you. It’s also a great way to meet new people and make friends.

“Kings College Cambridge Great Court Panorama” by Mark Williamson – via Wikimedia

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