<p>I am a senior and having a tough time deciding whether I should live at home or on campus when I start college. Both have pros and cons for me. I wish there was a middle ground. I need to begin applying for school pretty soon so I need to make a decision. </p>
<p>Here are some pros and cons(imo). Living at home: save money, living comfortably, won't have to be away from friends and family (most of my friends are a year younger but they could just move away next year) CONS: commute to school, less opportunity to meet new people,missing out on "college experience", less options for college. </p>
<p>Living on campus: PROS: no commute, more convenient, more college options, college experience, easier to meet new people and find people to study with. CONS more expensive, away from friends and family, less comfortable living, have to live with some random people</p>
<p>Sorry this is so long I'm just having a tough time picking one. I really appreciate any advice you have for me. Please share your experiences with what you chose. </p>
<p>Do you mean at the same college that is within commute range, or do you mean having out-of-commute-range colleges on your application list as well as commute range colleges?</p>
<p>If the latter, try running the net price calculator on each college to see what the net price after financial aid grants comes out to be. Also check for merit scholarships. It is entirely possible that some out-of-commute-range college may cost less than whatever commute range college is near you.</p>
<p>I was wondering which you would recommend. Like should I try to get a school that has a reasonable commute or should I just find one that I would need to live on campus because the commute is unreasonable. This also includes schools that would have a reasonable but pretty long commute where either could work. </p>
<p>You don’t want a long commute. That is time that is better devoted to study and school activities, and being at school will keep your attention focused on that.</p>
<p>If money or health is not an important factor in your decision, I would encourage you to live on campus. It seems that many of your concerns are based on a desire to avoid novel situations or have to meet new people–to stay in your psychological comfort zone at the age of 18. Your peer group will be changing whether you like it or not; as you point out, your younger friends from HS will be going away themselves. The question is whether you want to deal with those changes in the manner of your choosing or whether you want them imposed upon you. You are going to have to make new friends and meet new people regardless of what you decide.</p>
<p>If you do decide to live at home and commute, it’s best to attend a school that you can get to within 30 minutes. If you are driving, make sure the place has ample parking so you don’t have to get there at 7:30 a.m. for an 11 a.m. class. It should also have places for non-residential students to hang out between classes, such as lounges or a comfortable student center. Many schools with commuter students have lockers available so you don’t have to carry your books around all day. In other words, choose a college that is sensitive to the particular needs of commuter students. It would be hard to be a commuter at a college where it’s assumed by the administration and professors that almost everyone lives on campus.</p>
<p>If you can afford it, definitely live in a dorm your freshman year. Go to a college where the vast majority of students do not commute. These will be the best four years of your life. Get the new experiences of meeting many new people your same age. Seek out a diverse group.</p>
<p>If cost is the main issue, I would recommend not making being a commute range a factor in making your application list. Instead, make cost a factor, based on each college’s net price calculator and merit scholarship availability. It is not certain that all colleges within commute range will be less expensive than all colleges where you will have to live on or near campus.</p>
<p>Of course, other factors, like availability and quality of academic programs of interest, should also be considered when making your application list. Your application list should have at least one safety that you like that you are certain to be admitted to and certain that you can afford (some recommend more than one, in case you change your mind or misestimate whether a school is a safety).</p>
<p>If you’re asking if you should only apply to schools that you could commute to, I strongly advise against it. You should apply to schools that are a good fit for you, that you would like to go to, and that you could reasonably afford, regardless of whether or not they are located within commuting distance.</p>
<p>Also, I wouldn’t let your family or friends tie you down to one location. Everyone moves away from their family at some point, and your friends will still be your friends even if you go away to school. You will make more friends at your university (which will be easier if you live either on campus or near campus), and there’s nothing wrong with expanding your circle of friends and your comfort zone. It’s a good experience to live on your own, and if on campus living is too expensive, there may be more reasonably priced off campus housing that is still close to campus. And, of course, what happens when you stay at home for your friends but then they all go away to school next year? You may be at a school that isn’t a good fit for you or that doesn’t have the opportunities that you would like that you chose because it was close to home.</p>
<p>Try not to bind yourself to one location geographically, unless there are some extenuating circumstances that would cause you to. You can always make the decision when you see where you are accepted, but there’s little reason to do so during the application process. A lot of things will change between now and when you actually have to choose a school.</p>
<p>Find both. Apply to both. Hopefully you are accepted to both. When you see the $$$ difference (after scholarships and grants, with less consideration of loans), then you can decide. Let’s say that living at home is $5,000/yr cheaper. Your option might be to work X hours/wk to make up the difference. Might be easier to commute than work.</p>