To dorm or not to dorm?

<p>So, I'm kind of in this awkward position right now, where I'm decing to dorm or not.</p>

<p>The pros of dorming are that I get some independence from my family, I get to live in the village, it's easy to get to classes, and I'll probably have a better social life. The cons are that dorms get annoying to live in, I'll have to deal with a roommate, it's cramped and tiny, and I know it sounds weird but I'll miss green lawns and flowers and trees. </p>

<p>The pros of living at home are that I get to live in a large, spacious house with my own room, I have my family right there, I have all the comforts of home life, home cooking, plus I save like $15,000 a year. The cons are less independence and a 30-45 minute commute (each way), and the dent on my social life.</p>

<p>I'm thinking of commuting to save the financial strain on my family. But first I want to hear from the perspectives of people who are/were commuters...do you feel like it inhibited your social life at all, and do you suggest I schedule classes a certain way?</p>

<p>well obviously, you'll want to schedule your classes in blocks, and preferably not every single day. Other than that, commuting doesn't really hurt. The question is though, how lenient are your parents? Like would they let you chill + light up with a couple of friends every weekend or something. I personally could not stand dorming, and I think I'd kill a roommate by now if they are as annoying as some of my friends'. All in all, up to you. But don't expect to be super social in the dorms anyway. You might be friends with your roommate or something, but that's about as far as dorm-based interactions go. You'll find your friends through classes/clubs anyway.</p>

<p>Another thing to consider --- dorms are guaranteed only if you start out in them</p>

<p>Trust me man. Living with your family will be so much easier.
But of course, you will lose some fun aspects of dorming in return.</p>

<p>It's true. our generation is used to their own bedrooms (often their own private bath) I have 2 walk in closets I'm gonna miss...but look at it this way. You HAVE a place to go when things get tight. My home is 12 miles away from NYC and my folks have a place uptown that's empty a lot. So if I have a big test or need a break I can get away. Sounds like you're in the same boat. SO it's really the best of both worlds. Maybe U-Hall cause there's four girls in a unit, and if you don't like one, chances are you'll like another. Good luck</p>

<p>I commuted to NYU - albeit ages ago. Most students at the time were commuters. It was an enormous hassle to socialize after class and on weekends. It was a real pain not to have a decent place to hang out between classes. Compared to what my contemporaries did then and what my S is experiencing now, I think the commuter experience is something to avoid if you can.</p>

<p>well between classes I guess I can hang out in libraries, my friends dorms or hang out with them around school.
I think I'm commuting, because I'll save a ton of money. but I think it will be kind of annoying. weekends will be easy b/c I can go to the city just to socialize and don't have to worry about classes or anything inbetween.</p>

<p>I was in the same situation as you. I originally applied as a commuter because it would be cheaper, but I called them up a few weeks ago to dorm. </p>

<p>NYU is already expensive as it is, but I don't think saving the extra 15K a year is worth missing out from the traditional college experience. NYU already has an open campus, so this is the least you can do to make sure college doesn't feel like high school all over again. And yes, I do think you become more mature living on your own.</p>

<p>I actually think I'll become less mature if I'm living out on my own...I'll probably party more, sleep in really late and drag my butt to class late lol. I'm already pretty self sufficient living with my parents. and I don't really want a roommate to deal with.</p>

<p>I actually live on my own in Queens although my parents are not so far away in Manhattan. Whether you have independence or not really depends on your decisions and your parents' actions. Of course you will be less independent if your parents, for example, calls you everyday to see what you are doing or you decide to rely on your parents for making decisions or for money.</p>

<p>To be independent, I suggest to get a job so your personal expenses will be your own rather than parents'. </p>

<p>I do party and sleep late sometimes but not too much to interfere with my studies. All you need are good morals and excellent time management skills. </p>

<p>I am usually late to class if I get stuck in traffic during rush hour despite traveling to class early. Most professors do not appear to mind lateness unless you are coming in more than 10 minutes late or they have an official attendance policy.</p>

<p>I would not say you are less mature on your own. By researching and making your decisions for the colleges you are considering, you have already shown yourself as independent and mature.</p>

<p>I also have a related question - </p>

<p>If I choose not to dorm (I applied as a dormer), how will my financial aid be affected? The logical thing to do would be decrease my loans, but knowing NYU, I'm sure they'd just take some grant money away, and then the financial difference between dorming and commuting wouldn't even be that great. Is that correct?</p>

<p>This question is best answered by the financial aid office.</p>

<p>However, I can tell you that I never heard of anyone taking grant money away because the person chose not to dorm. Unless the grant applies to your dorm or living expenses directly, the grant is likely to remain the same. A grant after all is supposed to pay for tuition.</p>

<p>Okay, thank you very much! I'm going to call tomorrow though.</p>

<p>Dorm your first year, and then live at home after that; it's what many of my friends did. Rubin low-cost triples aren't bad.<br>
You'll never again find that freshmen buzz in your experience at NYU. It would be a shame to never experience it.</p>