Staying at Home for College

When searching for a college I new one thing: I wanted my campus to be in a city.  My first choice was New York, NY, it is my favorite place and I thought I would love it.  However I had to be realistic.  New York is a very expensive city and I could not justify spending so much money for my undergraduate years.  Being that I am from Chicago, IL (also a decent sized and fun city) I decided that it would not be such a bad idea to check out some Universities here.  I live about 15 minutes away from downtown Chicago so I quickly decided that I would not dorm so that I could save some money (more like thousands.)  Chicago has an awesome selection of Universities, so it was not long before I fell in love with one and found some others that I also would not mind attending.  

Sweet Home Chicago.

Before I made my final decision of staying in Chicago and living at home I had a lot to consider: I would miss out on the “dorming experience,” I would be under my parents roof during some exciting years of my life (don’t get me wrong I love them to pieces and am thankful to have them), and I would not have the convenience of waking up 10 minutes before class.  After thinking it over I looked at the pros of why being a commuter was a good choice for me.

·      I can redecorate my room.

·      I will not have the distraction of a roommate when studying in my room.

·      I will have my own room and bathroom.

·      I can light candles, blast music, and have the liberty and privacy to do just about anything I want.

·      I don’t have to eat College food.

·      I will save money.

·      I will not have to buy a bunch of new things for my dorm.

·      I won’t risk being stuck with roommate that I may not get along with. 

·      I can live and attend University in an exciting city.

·      I will still be independent because my parents have told me that they will give me my space.

Yes, some of these reasons are childish and I know that had I decided to dorm I would get used to it and would live happily in a dorm.  However, Commuting was the right choice for ME.  It is NOT the best choice for everyone.  I think dorming is exciting and am happy for those that choose to dorm (all of my friends will be dorming at their universities.)

One of the forms of transportation I will use. The Chicago El.

Now that you know that I will be a commuter in College, I will often write blog posts about my experience and tips for commuters.  If you have any questions about commuting leave them in the comments below whenever you want and I will be happy to answer!

-Diana