<p>I am a high school senior. Next year, I will be a freshman in Louisiana State University. I am not from Baton Rouge (where LSU is located), and my mother recently bought a house 20 minutes from LSU. Long story short, she bought the house not only because of me. However, she let me to choose to live in the dorm or live in her house.</p>
<p>If I live in her house, she would be moving to Baton Rouge. While it sounds sweet to me, many people tell me that she is trying to control me. However, many years she herself never controlled me. She never forbid me from hanging out with friends or going anywhere that is in the city. I don't think she has motives to control me. (I was thinking about saying that she is not getting my FAFSA money; however, am I going to get money from them?)</p>
<p>If I live in the dorm, I would have to sign a annual contract. If I am unhappy in the dorm, I would have to pay $2000 to get out of the dorm. She is not giving me a car (which I don't think I need it). </p>
<p>I am lost. I would rather her make me to live in the dorm or live in her house, so I don't have to think about it. Advices?</p>
<p>How long will it actually take you to get to campus? Is it 20 minutes by car, is 20 minutes by however you would be getting there? If it’s a long trip, is it safe at night? You might have late classes. If it’s going to take 30+ minutes to get to campus, the commute could be troublesome, especially if you have late classes.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is that many students make friends in the dorms, and being outside of them might make it harder to have a social life. Dorms also force you to learn to do things on your own (like laundry) and get along with other people (like roommates).</p>
<p>That said, living at home is far cheaper, and you don’t have to worry about the roommate lottery. Depending on you (and your budget), either option could be a good choice.</p>
<p>Living in the residence halls as a freshman may foster more of a connection with the school. It can be a definite improvement in convenience if you can just walk home after an early class, do assignments at home, then walk back on campus to a late class. A commuter student would either spend more time commuting, or have to carry more stuff to campus when going home to get another book or something is inconvenient.</p>
<p>However, if the extra cost stretches the budget too much, then it can tip the balance the other way (but do not forget to factor in commuting costs).</p>
<p>I will give you my stand point on this. Go live in the dorms. College is not only a chance to meet new people, learn new things, and go somewhere new. It is also about becoming independent. Granted, you might be somewhat independent now, but is living at home with your mom being truly independent? </p>
<p>My second point, you are supposed to meet new people. If you are living at home, what are your chances of doing that? A lot of people make friends through the dorms. Everyone else there is nervous about meeting everyone and living somewhere new, so you already have that connection. </p>
<p>Third point, the closeness to the school. You can walk to school and not have to lug around your school books all the time. Also, you can, if your dorm is close enough, stop by your dorm and take a quick cat nap before your next class or get in a little work or down time. </p>
<p>In the end though, do what you think is best. Would you rather a.) Live with your mom, commute and save money or b.) Live in the dorms, spend some extra cash, and be closer to the school?</p>
<p>If you don’t have a car and have the money to do so, I would recommend living on campus for the first year. Stick it out, even if you don’t like it. Then, once the year is up, if you want to move back in with your parents, go ahead.</p>
<p>I live at home. My commute is about 45 minutes each way (although it can be as short as 30 minutes and, one time, I was on the road for TWO HOURS!). I think it works better for me, but I have some extenuating circumstances. If I lived on campus, things would be much more difficult (remember, though, that LA is a city with permanent rush hour–there’s traffic everywhere and, when it comes to driving directions, we do talk like “The Californians”).</p>
<ul>
<li>Expensive.</li>
<li>Sharing a small room with (usually) at least one other person.</li>
<li>Random roommates… could be cool and you two get along, or could be an absolute nightmare to live with.</li>
<li>You might be required to have a meal plan, so depending on your habits and how your school’s food is, that can suck. (Again, this is more a cost thing.)</li>
<li>Dorms can be noisy, which gets annoying if you like sleep or are trying to study.</li>
</ul>
<p>But as others have said, if cost isn’t an issue, try the dorms. Unless you suffer from anxiety or something, it’s helpful to be close to school, you’ll meet new people, etc.</p>
<p>I definitely recommend living in the dorms your first year. You will meet new people, make adjustment to your study habits, learn to live independently etc. It is also better if you live in the dorm your second year. After, that its your choice. It would be easier to goto classes if you have a class at like 8 am in the morning or 5 pm in the evening.</p>
<p>It is such a hassle and its really inconvenient yeah it’s cheaper but I would live in a dorm your first year sophomore year you could live at home. I decided to live with my aunt and i regret it I’m shy and I have no friends and I am miserable I hate living with my aunt. Her boyfriends views conflict with mine so much and she is just stupid sometimes.</p>
<p>If you think you might want to live at your parents house for privacy or to get away from people for a little while then I would suggest getting a single dorm room. This way you can be near the action but still have some alone time.</p>
<p>Parent here. Unless you can’t afford to live in a dorm or there is another reason you would be better off living at home (i.e., health or mental health issues), then I would recommend that you give dorm living a try. As others have mentioned previously, the benefits far outweigh the negative aspects.</p>
<p>On campus. No question about it. If you learn nothing else in college, you should at least learn how to live on your own, meet new people, and have new experiences. It would be much easier to live at home but trust me, you will have such a better overall experience living on campus. </p>