During their last year of high school, students begin making decisions that will define their lives. The most important one is which College or University to enter, or whether they would even like to go continue their studies. Along with this is a decision of the person to move out of their home or stay while he/she is studying. Of course it would definitely sound easier to just stay in the comforts of the four walls of the home that person grew up in. But as teenagers they may feel the need to prove their selves and become independent. In this discussion, the benefits, disadvantages, and overall experience of living with or without parents during college will be discussed.
As previously mentioned, the easier choice for a person would be to stay at home and live with their parents. For one thing, it may be a more comfortable environment for studying, especially while undertaking heavy courses such as pre-med. Expenses may become less of a hassle since the family shares the house, as well as the chores. It would be a big bonus if your house is near the college/university because you can save commuting or gas expenses. If not, then it might become a problem considering the amount of time wasted when travelling long distances (it would have been better if the person went to a school dorm). Family issues also sometimes tend to get in the way and distract the person who should be fully concentrated on his/her studies – based on the experiences of a newly graduated computer science major. Overall, the person will still get to experience the life of a normal college student, however, there is still a sense of confinement where the person does not get to experience a sense of reality as he/she is still considered dependent on his/her family.
On the other hand, living independently presents a challenge. This challenge may refer to being separated from the family you have known all of your life. It will definitely not be easy; however it can be considered as a valuable learning experience. Firstly, the person will most likely learn how to manage finances, given that he/she is provided an allowance or works part-time for living expenses. Second, living with other students presents a chance for socialization and making connections (which will definitely play a big part in the future). And third, it is an avenue for maturity and independence. Compared to living with parents, this option can be considered as a more difficult yet beneficial one in the long run.
After making a comparison of the two situations, it is apparent that both have advantages and disadvantages of its own. There are always easy ways and difficult ways to do something and it will most likely have the same outcome. However, it is important that a person learns independence particularly in this stage of his/her life because these are the formative times where people make the most mistakes. These mistakes teach and instill people the values and morals required of surviving in the real world because despite how easy it seems, it is one of the cruelest places to be in.
