As college students, all of us are put in the situation of choosing where to reside. Not to mention, that is often a hard decision to make, especially during a pandemic. So, in this article, I will tell you about my experiences as a commuter and as a student living on-campus. I will be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of both, so that you can make the best decision for yourself.
First of all, it depends on where your family lives. In my case, my family's house is around 15 minutes away from campus, which is acceptable to commute if you have the proper transportation. In any other case, your family's house might be in another state, or even country, which takes commuting out of the equation. However, you still have to choose to live on or off-campus regardless.
As a commuter, I noticed many downsides of living at home. First, if you have siblings, then I'm sure you know how cramped it can feel having to share many common spaces with them. With the stress of being a college student and them being annoying most of the time, you have to learn to be patient the hard way!
Another thing that you have to keep in mind is transportation. It sounds like it's not that big of a deal, but it is. You either have to make one of your parents drop you off and pick you up, or you will have to get a license and pay for an expensive parking pass, which is easier said than done. The only positives to living at home that I have experienced is being able to have your family to lean on in times of crisis.
My friend, a student who resides on campus, talked to me a lot about the struggles of student housing, beginning with roommates who sometimes make this thing a lot worse. She revealed that her roommate was nice at first, and that they were doing great, however, things changed a lot towards the end of the semester. While switching rooms may be an option, the university makes the process very complicated and hard to accomplish.
Still, living on campus gives you more time to get ready in the morning, make new friends, and get involved, since everything is literally around the corner!
In the end, I would always suggest that you ask former students and take advice from them. Also, if your family lives near campus then why not just stay with them? Rate each choice and make the right decision for you.
