<p>Right now I'm attending a CC, so when I transfer to University, I'll be a junior. I don't want to live in the dorms at University, I'm considering just getting an apartment. I already have two close friends of mine that are willing to get an apartment with me close to campus. However, my commute from home to campus will be only about 30 minutes. I've just been commuting to the CC for the past two years, and when I go to University, I want to actually be able to EXPERIENCE college life for once. Would it be worth it to add to my debt for the last two years of college, just so I could get some independence?</p>
<p>“Would it be worth it to add to my debt for the last two years of college, just so I could get some independence?” </p>
<p>This is a great question. One I don’t think I am qualified to answer because I was very fortunate to not have to worry about debt but I’ll chime in with my experience on the lifestyle of living at home vs near campus. There are certainly a lot of nuances involved when comparing being 30 minutes away vs 3 minutes away. </p>
<p>During my first 3 years of undergrad I lived near campus, last 1.5 years I lived at home to save money for graduate school. Like you my commute from home is 30 minutes without traffic, but closer to one hour during traffic. When I was living at home I was significantly less involved on campus, couldn’t really host hang outs with my friends, and couldn’t bring dates back to the house without potential for awkwardness. </p>
<p>The commute to campus and back ate up close to 2.5 hours of my time everyday, because along with the commute time I had to leave early in order to guarantee a parking spot on the large campus. When considering whether to get involved in a campus activity, attend a conference, or join a club; I had to weigh how long I would stay on campus vs the commute time. Near the beginning of my time at home when I was still an officer in clubs and heavily involved on campus there were times where I had to drive to campus during rush hour just to drop something off or meet with someone briefly for 15 minutes. If there is a lot of break time between classes, I also had to judge whether I should wait around or return home then come back. My productivity was better when I could just go back to the apartment 3 minutes away. </p>
<p>However a pro of living at home for me was that I was able to eat a lot healthier and got gourmet meals made for me from time to time. There were also no noisy neighbors or sound insulation issues. I didn’t miss hearing my neighbor’s nightly skype conversations or sex habits. The internet connection was also faster at home. </p>
<p>I may not have to go into much debt, because I have a pretty steady, above-minimum wage paying job, and after saving for a summer I could pay for at least most of my living expenses. Also, I’ll be going abroad to teach quickly after graduation, so I like the idea of getting used to living away from family before I move out of the country. 
I like the points you brought up , and I’ll definitely take them into consideration. :)</p>
<p>My 2c is to not do it. My commute is roughly the same as yours – mine being 30 mins with no traffic but generally I need to leave 1 hour ahead because of traffic/parking. So yes, the commute isn’t favorable. But I was able to fully enjoy my college experience by not being lazy and staying on campus longer/using my gas to drive back to school to participate in events/etc. In hindsight, I’ve saved a TON more money (even if I did have to drive 40+ miles a day) by not moving out. I admit, my first year there I was very inactive. I went to class and went home. The second year I decided to put myself out there, actually attend events, and actually drive to campus on weekends/later at nights despite how I didn’t want to. It worked out for the better as I’ve made a ton of new friends and am finally getting the college experience I seeked.</p>
<p>The thing is, whether or not you live NEAR campus makes no difference to your college experience, IMHO. You’ll make friends regardless and you’ll be able to participate in the college campus experience if you put yourself out there. The only difference is that it may take more effort as a commuter, but you’ll be saving a lot of money.</p>
<p>You’re making above minimum wage. That’s wonderful – you won’t get into much debt if you got an apartment. But I believe saving that money will be much better and by not going into debt AT ALL is a much smarter option – especially in the long-run and financially. In my very humble opinion, you’re MUCH better off putting your extra money into a savings than using it for an apartment or a dorm. I can speak from experience as I have a ton of money saved up when I could’ve easily afforded to move out. Instead, I’ve been using that money for cooler things like vacations and traveling/music festivals with the friends I’ve made from various organizations.</p>
<p>Generally, I’m one of the few people who would say that it is more worth it to commute. However, if you’re planning on going abroad after graduation, it’s probably best to have some experience with independence in an environment you’re more familiar with first.</p>