Choosing the right housing Part 2: Living at home

Living at home: the often forgotten option
When you say college life, living at home might not be the first thing that comes to mind. For many the choice is generally between dorms or off campus. However, if your parents have offered to let you stay at home and your college is reasonably close, this is hardly an option to scoff at. (photo: howstuffworks)



Living at home is a great and very undervalued housing option. Even if your college is far away, if you're thinking about summer school at a nearby college, living at home is something you should think about. Here's the rundown:



Pros:

1. It's cheaper
   The cost of college housing is only the beginning of what you'll be spending - tag on laundry, eating, toiletries, and all those other small things and living at college is very expensive. You do have to spend on transport to go to college, but it's proably far less than what you'll be saving on everything else.


2. The transition
   This can be a huge reason. Getting new friends, adjusting to a new location, and having to do a lot more for yourself in addition to studying can be tough. You might have a good group of friends, a significant other, pets, or even relatives you don't want to part with. Also, parents can be a huge support through this process when they can readily help you with problems and issues.


3. Cafe food
   This may sound like a cliche, but college food is pretty bad. The freshman 15 is not a joke: people DO gain a lot of weight just because they eat a lot of unhealthy food and are not exercising. If you have food constraints, you might have extremely limited choices (note: vegans/vegetarians). Eating at home even if you are doing the cooking is probably much better.


4. Comfort
   Your home is probably a lot more comfortable. And you're not forced to live in a room with some one you don't know. Sure, dorms are an experience but who wants to experience living with someone who snores like a train. For special ed students, living at home can provide you with facilities that the college may not be suited to provide.
   
5. Privacy
   Most housing options at college require sharing something with someone else you don't know that well. Your home can give that privacy and security you want.

Cons

1. The experience
   A big part of college is experiencing new things. Living at home can get in the way of that. Immersion, like in the case of languages, can be the only way to learn certain things and living at college can give you that. At home, your parents may shelter you from certain things that you would get exposed to and learn from living alone.


2. Convenience
   Being able to pull all nighters or meet friends late at night can become inconvenient living at home. Forgot something in your room? That's a hour trip back and forth. Living at college can make you more mobile and help you get things done that require you to be in the college.


3. Privacy
   Parents and siblings can be nosy and you might not want them to know the details of your college life. Even if they are not, there are some experiences that you might want to be private or you might want alone time. This can be difficult at home even if you can go to college to escape.


4. Home-based obligations
   Living at home can involve you spending a lot of time on other things. Babysitting siblings, buying groceries, and all those small home obligations can take a toll on your time.

Choosing the right housing Part 1: Dorms

Congrats. You're in. That fat envelope is sitting in your lap. You've chosen your school and given your deposit. Now comes time for another choice: where will you live at college. This may not be that big a choice for some. The university may have chosen housing for you or only given you limited options to begin with. But if you do have options, you should seriously think about each one before you make your decision.

Any marketing student will tell you: its all about Location Location Location. Sure location is important. But there are a few more things you should think about: transportation, dining, the type of people who live there, costs, facilities, and social activities. Let's start this series by discussing the general choice: dormitory housing.

Dormitories: the tried and true option
Dormitories are the option that most new students are going to take. The generic dormitory consists of a host of rooms, generally housing 2-3, with communal baths, a Residential advisor (RA), and some facilities. Sharing a room can be a new experience and many college have a matching process and give you the name of your roommate before you come, so you can get to know eachother beforehand. Rooms are usually on the small side, but with time you will really make good use of it and make the most out of it. (photo: parentingteensblog)

Dorm rooms are usually convenient, have a good social environment, and are often mandatory for 1-2 years. They are usually well connected to the campus especially libraries and dining halls which makes getting around less problematic. Dorms also usually come equipped with several facilities: bathrooms, cable, internet, telephones, electricity, garbage disposal, parking, and some cleaning. They also usually come equipped with furniture and a bed.

Dorms often also come with other conveniences: study areas, lounges, cafes, kitchens, vending machines, laundry services, rec facilities. Some even have perks like saunas, weight rooms, and pools. Dorms are also usually safer than other options, requiring card access for entry and monitored by college police. Residential advisors are at dorms are also excellent sources of information and can help in making you familiar with college facilities and things to do. There's also a lot of social interaction and it's possible to make friends within the first few hours of moving in. All in all a great place to start getting to know the college and the surrounding area.

Of course not everything is peachy. First off, everything is for everyone. Bathrooms are generally communal and so are TVs, lounges, study areas, washing machines, and almost everything else. So while you get to interact with people while you're in the lounge, it also means you could be stuck watching the news when you really wanted to see the game or waiting an hour before you get to play a game of table tennis. Even your room isn't that private with roommate(s) around and thin walls. This can really be an issue if you don't like your roommate.
However, everyone who goes to college should give dorm housing a try at least once even if just for the experience. This will probably be the only time you get to do it and it's a really good option.

Sometimes choosing which dorm can also be a bit puzzling. If you can visit the college, ask some people where they stayed and what they thought about it. Take a look at the dorms and the different features they may have and where they are located. Even if you can't visit, colleges generally have dorm features accessible online. Take a look at a college map to see where the dorm is located relative to other key locations to get an idea of what you will be living near. Also, see if the dorm is substance-free or has some special interest (such as living green) to see if you will 'fit the mold'. (photo: TIME)

Take a look at your college's website for more information.