I'm not sure about all of you, but growing up I always saw movies of people turning 18, graduating, then driving off in their car full of their belongings while there parents waved them goodbye in the driveway watching their child go off to college. The sad reality of it is college is so expensive that a good portion of us stay at home in hopes to avoid the ramen and mac n cheese diet for just a little longer. But how much more are you really giving up?
Sure we all have heard of the freshman 15 and its a curse that strikes most freshman that do not stay at home, it pretty easy not to care about what you eat when you don't have your mother cooking your meals anymore. But at the same time those kids that went off to college get to experience the independence of grocery shopping and deciding what exactly makes it into the cart. Of course all the easy cheap food is filled with a bunch of carbs and trans fats (but who isn't to say that the drinking doesn't have anything to do with their weight either)?
I personally think the biggest sacrifice every college freshman that stays at home is making is their independence. A good share of us all have visited our friends since they have left for college and its almost like they are rubbing it in our faces with their long nights out, not having to be told to do this or do that, or not having to worry about coming home late and waiting for the interrogation from the parents. meanwhile us kids that stay at home are still coming home at 12 or else we hear "as long as you live under our roof you follow our rules" but hey I keep telling myself....all the money I'm saving on room/board, tuition, and late night fun is totally worth it.
Between the late nights partying, the independence of living on your own, and all the little perks that go along with living in a dorm; you have to ask yourself......is it really worth that much money? I personally think sucking up 1 year and staying at home gives you enough drive and motivation to get you out of there (and do it successfully I might add) that when your off on your own your just that more well rounded for the true college experience.
So true, I always thought that i would be the last person out of my group of friends to stay home for college. But when you look at the big picture, the amount of money you'll be saving will be so significant in starting our futures. Not to mention we get to have home cooking for another year or two to avoid the muffin top overflow ;)
ReplyDeleteagreed. i was always embarrassed to tell people that i was staying here for college, but now i'm actually proud of it because i feel like i'm the smart one saving all the money and still getting to sleep in my own bed!
ReplyDeleteTo be completely honest I'm not embarassed by it. I know that in the end I'm saving large amounts of money but I'm also probably one of the few that does come home late and doesn't get drilled by parents (anymore). Sleeping in my own bed is a huge plus as well, one of my friends is living up at UWGB in the dorms and constantly complains about how muggy and hot it is in the rooms. Screw that, I think I'm lucky to be living at home.
ReplyDeleteI get where your coming from, someone asked me where i was going to school. I said Uw Sheboygan. Her response was eww. My response was im sorry i dont have parents to pay for me to flunk out of college. I dont care what people say, im getting the same education as them, just not at the high price. I might be missing out on the college life, but being cramped up in a room with some person i dont know or may not like, doesnt sound like fun to me!
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