I am currently at a four-year university about 3.5 hours from home where I am a residential student. The school is private and fairly small. I am definitely not into the typical “college experience” social life of partying and spend weekends visiting with nearby relatives, studying, or in my room. I do think that the professors here are great and I really like the small classes. However, I can barely afford to go here and sometimes think that I am wasting money for the “college experience” that I do not want.
I am thinking of transferring to a university around 10-15 minutes from my home which I would commute to. I have looked into it, and it would cost half of what I am paying now (a big difference as living on campus isn’t cheap) and I would live with my parents for free. However, the school is a “party school”, is very large, and is public, so I would forfeit my small classes, some of the school’s reputation, and a bit of independence. If I do go there, I will be able to get a job and will pay for school with my job while also saving up some money for the future.
I plan to continue my studies after my Bachelor’s degree and probably get an apartment for grad school, so I am thinking that I should save money while I can now. I am scared that my family will be disappointed at me or judge me for moving back home, but I know my parents will let me move in with open arms.
Should I go forward with my idea to change schools in order to save money? Is it hard to be both a transfer student and a commuter? I would love to hear from someone who has experienced being a transfer and a commuter at the same time.