I’m having a hard time deciding this and I have been thinking about this lately; I need to pick my decision before college applications come in October.
Here’s what I think so far:
I want to stay home so I can be comfortable and SAVE money.
(Pros): I want to use the saved money to study abroad for my sophomore or junior year of college.
I can live comfortably and I don’t have to deal with a roommate or have problems using/waiting for the bathroom.
(Cons):
Driving/using the bus to AND from there.
I might not be able to concentrate if I try to study at my house with my younger siblings still around.
I fear the I will most likely not make new friends.
Professors will not care if you live near or far.
I also want to live in a dorm so I can have a good college experience, and it convenience of being around the school.
(Pros):
Meet new people with the same interests and meet people who can make a difference in your life
You can just walk to class
People in dorms study or go to work without the hassle of going back home.
You have more freedom and see what being an adult is for the first time.
(Cons):
Sharing a room with a roommate.
Sharing bathrooms with a whole bunch of other people
THE COST!
The fact that I live 15-20 minutes away
I live 15-20 minutes away from the college I will most likely will attend. I’m wondering if I should stay with my family and commute or live a dorm life to make new friends and have the college experience. I know each decision has their pros, cons, and sacrifices. I’m usually a person who joins clubs (I join a lot of clubs and I’m going to be a senior in high school this upcoming fall.) and needs a really quiet environment with little or no people around to study. And I REALLY WANT to study abroad in a foreign country for 1 year. I heard freshmen are recommended to live on campus their first year. I’m getting mixed reviews from people on the internet. I haven’t asked anyone in real life yet, but in your opinion, which life would you choose?
Just reading into your text, I’m thinking you’re wanting to live in a dorm more than commuting.
Here’s what happened for me: I lived 15 minutes away from my college freshman and sophomore years. At the time, I thought it would mean I would be socially shunned for being a commuter. I hated every minute of September and October because I couldn’t shake the mindset. But soon I got accustomed to being able to just “go home” at the end of a mentally tiring day, or go to familiar places to destress like the park or the county library!
I’m quite fond of the money I saved during those two years because I didn’t have to pay for the dorms. However, when I transferred to a four year university, I opted for the dorm since I wanted to get as FAR away from my incredibly toxic family as possible. I liked my roommates this past year, but your results may vary.
In retrospect, I did have easier access to people in the dorms but I’m torn on what I would’ve done different. I would’ve enjoyed just going home after every day in my own car (as opposed to riding the bus) to my own house, but then my sanity would’ve been eaten away by my family.
No matter what you do, no one judges you for what you do. I kept trying to believe that my freshman and sophomore years, but didn’t until I saw both sides this past year.
I’m a commuter student who takes the bus. My twenty-minute commute isn’t a big deal at all, and I’m able to stay on campus in the evenings.
You can live in a dorm during that time.
It doesn’t surprise me that colleges “recommend” their expensive dorms. 
There are drawbacks to commuting, but I don’t think you’re far enough away to experience them.
If you stay on campus for your first year or even your first semester would you be able to save enough money for study abroad? Also keep in mind that many colleges have aid or scholarships available that depending on the location might actually be cheaper than a semester at home (I’d talk to the study abroad director about this at your school)
IMO there is nothing wrong with commuting and many students have done it, but the reason many colleges recommend students to live on campus their first year is because that is one of the easiest ways to make friends because you are surrounded by dozens of people entering college for the first time looking to make friends. (After freshman year it matters less because most people are at least somewhat established in their college social circles) If you are a commuter it will still be possible to make those connections but you may just have to put yourself out there more in your classes and activities.
So if you want to stay on campus I’d look into perhaps just staying during your freshman year and saving up the rest for study abroad. Otherwise just be extra social and use that as a motivator to meet new people
I suspect the majority of the answers you are going to get here are going to be pro-dorm. These are most likely people with rose tinted spectacles. Living 15-20 minutes away is pretty much on campus, a dorm is a waste of money with that situation. They are expensive and generally a bad value. You get a small crappy bed, a small room and you have to share it.
Honestly, if it were me, I would just stay at home. It’s nice to come home to family at the end of a long day. Plus you get a bathtub and a real bed.
Why do you need to decide by October? You won’t need to apply for housing for a long time. You have plenty of time to decide, assuming you are a senior in high school
If commuting will allow you the chance to study abroad and that’s really important to you, I would say commute,as long as your parents are on board with it.
I think it depends on your personality and what you want more. For example, I will definitely be living on campus even if I have the choice to live off campus because I know that with my personality, if I’m not forced to live so close to other people, I may end up going through college without many friends. You should weigh what you personally want more. There’s no one size fits all approach to this question.