Help, Quick: Dorm or Commute?
I'm starting my freshman year of college in August and I am torn between the choice of dorming or commuting. I will be taking classes at a university that is 30-45 minutes from home in good traffic. I live with my mom and brother now, and my big issue is leaving my mom because she is my best friend. I don't want her to get lonely and I want to be able to still see her often and spend time with her. I have to decide by tomorrow at 5 pm so I am kind of freaking out. Should I dorm or commute? What are the pros and cons of both? Is it worth it to dorm? Should I try it out and live at home if I don't like it? If I can still have my close relationship with my mom, I'll be fine. Help please! Thanks :)
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Hi, so I'm freshman in college right now and I commute. From my experience commuting has its perks and disadvantages. I love that I can have some time away from school, but at the same time staying at home can be distracting from your studies especially when you're only trying to get used to the big change of studying much more than you did in high school. If its too hard for you to leave your mom, then by all means commute, it's definitely possible to keep up with friends and family and study if you manage your time well. If you think you might need more motivation to study, dorming can be good cause your always in a school environment. You can always come home on the weekends if your only a half hour to 45 minutes away anyway :)
Can you commute via public transit? That is both a lot cheaper and you can get work done (at least reading) while you commute. The distance doesn't seem a big deal to me and dorm life if much, much overrated. You can fully participate in the university without living on campus.
If you can afford it, it is well worth it to live in the dorm and learn some independence (it sounds like both you and your mother need to "cut the cord" eventually, now is a good time). You will still be able to have a close relationship, as you are close enough to home to see her frequently. Yes, you can try it out and if you don't like it, you can move out.
Living in the dorms might be a good option if you can afford it. You will opportunities to meet other people who are in your same major and would be able to meet you up. You will also be able to experience being independent for the first time. You can also probably get visits from your mom if you are really lonely. Living in the dorms will allow you to meet people who are around your same age group.
I am a mom, who is very close to her daughter. and I say dorm.
Studies over whelming show freshman student do much better academically when they live on campus.
You need to make friends on campus.
This is a time for you to move on. You need to start a life at college. You are going to be close enough to home to still maintain a close relationship with your mother. My daughter was a five hour drive away. We talk every day.
At the same time residing in dorm is a gigantic a part of the college expertise there's no solution to justify the cost if you are living only 20 minutes away. However if you wish to get out of the condominium, get permitted to an out of state college.