Living at home during college, how much of a "life" do you miss out on?

[Protagonistic]

Well, I can't be the only pre-med living at home for college. Anyways I realize that a situation may arise in which I may have to live at home throughout my college career like other pre-meds or student at my school are doing. Now a lot of what I hear is the following:

1. Life (social life) in college dorms is the heaven of enjoyment for most people. Most people enjoy their social life the most during their life their first two years of college when they are living in dorms and that enjoyment never really comes around again.

2. Living in college dorms for the first two years of college or throughout college usually leads to a better social life and more chances to make friends and enjoy the social life of college.

Summing it up: Living in a college dorm usually leads to a strong social life and friends which last throughout life time.

Now I want to hear from you older, more experienced pre-meds and even med students, how much of a "life" does a person miss out on by not living on campus or staying in dorms during college?

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[Residual]

This is the kind of question that you really have to answer for yourself.

 

[JuniperTree]

Well, I can't be the only pre-med living at home for college. Anyways I realize that a situation may arise in which I may have to live at home throughout my college career like other pre-meds or student at my school are doing. Now a lot of what I hear is the following:

1. Life (social life) in college dorms is the heaven of enjoyment for most people. Most people enjoy their social life the most during their life their first two years of college when they are living in dorms and that enjoyment never really comes around again.

2. Living in college dorms for the first two years of college or throughout college usually leads to a better social life and more chances to make friends and enjoy the social life of college.

Summing it up: Living in a college dorm usually leads to a strong social life and friends which last throughout life time.

Now I want to hear from you older, more experienced pre-meds and even med students, how much of a "life" does a person miss out on by not living on campus or staying in dorms during college?

Not a pre-med, but having done both, I can tell you you're not missing that much. I have a very strong social life by occasionally staying with friends who dorm and being active in the college community.

The only way your social life will really suffer from living at home is if you attend class and never interact with your fellow students out of class. And if you don't share a bedroom at home, you may not learn how to get along with others. But dorm life is not necessary.

 

[toff4l]

I commuted for my first two years.

Biggest mistake of my life. You will make most of your college friends during the first semester of Freshman year.

Don't commute if you have a choice.

 

[circulus vitios]

I live at home and commute because I can't afford to live on campus. It sucks. Oh well, such is the life of a middle class white kid.

 

[farrago]

You really are a masochist, Protagonistic.

Now, as for dorms, you have to share a bathroom with strangers... case closed.

 

[Torr]

Well, I can't be the only pre-med living at home for college. Anyways I realize that a situation may arise in which I may have to live at home throughout my college career like other pre-meds or student at my school are doing. Now a lot of what I hear is the following:

1. Life (social life) in college dorms is the heaven of enjoyment for most people. Most people enjoy their social life the most during their life their first two years of college when they are living in dorms and that enjoyment never really comes around again.

2. Living in college dorms for the first two years of college or throughout college usually leads to a better social life and more chances to make friends and enjoy the social life of college.

Summing it up: Living in a college dorm usually leads to a strong social life and friends which last throughout life time.

Now I want to hear from you older, more experienced pre-meds and even med students, how much of a "life" does a person miss out on by not living on campus or staying in dorms during college?

Protag, I feel like I need to give you a hug! Your threads just make me sad and I don't feel like you're getting any closer to a real solution. Hopefully people on here are really helping you but I'm just not sure this is what you need.

Don't know if you actually have the option of moving out but if possible I would recommend that you do. Based on your past threads and complaints about parental pressures I think you'd be a lot happier out on your own.

 

[Scooby Doo]

Don't worry, you can wait until medical school to lose your virginity




but yea, i agree with residual...

and for your comment, from college I have amazing memories but only about 3 really really good friends that I still keep in contact with. The rest are facebook friends.

 

[muhali3]

I'm in the same situation, but I don't feel like I'm missing out on much. You just have to find other ways to make friends.

 

[Protagonistic]

Torr: If you are a female then go for it but make sure the girl who asked me to go to the movies with her doesn't find out.

Farrago: Nuh uh

Scooby Doo: You have time to lose your virginity in med school?! 😱

 

[NickNaylor]

I definitely think living on campus makes a huge difference on campus life. I lived off campus my last two years - and only a couple of blocks away - and I already felt disconnected.

 

[Suncrusher]

I commuted for my first two years.

Biggest mistake of my life. You will make most of your college friends during the first semester of Freshman year.

Don't commute if you have a choice.

Totally agree...I lived off campus all 4 years and it is my number one biggest regret about college

 

[sideways]

I didn't read a single response in this thread, because I don't give a **** what anyone has to say on this matter other than myself. MOVE OUT OF YOUR PARENT'S HOUSE FOR COLLEGE. MOVE INTO A GODDAMN DORM.

Night and day.

 

[45408]

Now I want to hear from you older, more experienced pre-meds and even med students, how much of a "life" does a person miss out on by not living on campus or staying in dorms during college?

A lot.

Life was waaaay more fun when I got an apartment next to campus.

 

[muhali3]

follow-up: not having a car during college, how much of a "life" do you miss out on?

 

[eli20]

follow-up: not having a car during college, how much of a "life" do you miss out on?

Depends in the extreme on geography.

 

[PressPforPi]

I commute an hour and a half round trip everyday to save $ for med school. I'm on the Student Activities Council. No, I don't miss out on much. If it's happening on my campus, I know about it and more than likely I'll be there networking. 😀

 

[werd]

don't live at home. live at college. car probably does not make a big difference.

again, don't live at home.

 

[em3761]

People who live off campus think they're missing out more than they actually are. Dorm life gives you the chance to make friends more easily, but it can also be a real pain, especially if you don't get along with your roommate. If you want to make friends you can find a way whether you're living on or off campus...all of the friends I made in college I met in class or through student orgs, not in my dorm.

 

[sideways]

People who live off campus think they're missing out more than they actually are. Dorm life gives you the chance to make friends more easily, but it can also be a real pain, especially if you don't get along with your roommate. If you want to make friends you can find a way whether you're living on or off campus...all of the friends I made in college I met in class or through student orgs, not in my dorm.

^this guy must be a nerd. Seriously. No offense to you btw. I'm just using your foolish perceptions of the world as a beacon for the impressionable youth.

Move into a dorm. It will change your life. Maybe for the worse btw. But that's OK. Because in the long run it'll be for the better.

Just so you know, I'm no spring chicken. I'm older and have been around. I recall the fear of moving out of my parent's house for college. The awkwardness of the initial dorm mixers, etc. But my GOD, within a few months, let alone the years that followed...I wouldn't have changed those experiences for anything. I had the best experiences of my life and met the best friends of my life over the course of it all. And I'm >10 years removed from it.

Trust me. Move out.

 

[Residual]

Meeeeeh. I lived in a dorm one semester and hated it, personally. If you're going to move out, look into something off-campus. Where I live, at least, it can actually be cheaper for 3-4 people to rent an old 3-4 bedroom house together than to live in the dorms. And again, where I live at least, college kids are like 40% of the population and there are whole neighborhoods more or less full of them. Own bedroom, bathrooms shared with at worst maybe 2 other people, no quarters for the wash, no ****ty dorm food, a yard to chill out in, no RAs to mess with you.

Plus, I mean...in a dorm, you're exposed to a lot more people. That, I guess, CAN be an upside, in that there are a bunch of people that you have no choice but to bump into all the time and that does give you the opportunity to make friends. The downside is....you're exposed to a lot more people that you have no choice but to bump into all the time. And you don't get to choose who they are.

 

[getright]

If you're very sociable, then I would recommend living in the dorms/apartments on campus. This is coming from a commuter.

 

[sideways]

If you're very sociable, then live in the dorms/apartments on campus.

The opposite.

If you're not very sociable, move into the dorms.

 

[bucks2010]

It's what you make of it. I've made some real quality friends during the course of my college career that I think I will still be in contact with decades from now. Too many fun times to list.

Ive also commuted all 4 years.

 

[getright]

The opposite.

If you're not very sociable, move into the dorms.

I was coming from a perspective where if you enjoy being around students, then you should probably live close to school. I guess living on campus if you're introverted would also benefit your social life. So either way, the OP should live on campus? lol

 

[bucks2010]

The opposite.

If you're not very sociable, move into the dorms.

Agreed. The "forced interaction" could help you make friends much more easily than otherwise.

Just don't get together with the kids I saw on the quad a couple months ago, theatrically duking it out with plastic light sabers. I think one of them had a cape. Just saying....there are good crowds and bad crowds.

 

[sideways]

I was coming from a perspective where if you enjoy being around students, then you should probably live close to school. I guess living on campus if you're introverted would also benefit your social life. So either way, the OP should live on campus? lol

Exactly.

 

[Protagonistic]

problem is the university I go to has dorms saved for out of town or out of state students, students who went to high school in the same county mostly have to commute

 

[muhali3]

problem is the university I go to has dorms saved for out of town or out of state students, students who went to high school in the same county mostly have to commute

so why did you ask this question? you have no choice...

 

[MRSAful Fate]

Date a girl who lives in some appartments near campus and stay at her place a lot. Problem solved. Bonus - date a Latina and learn Spanish while you're at it too!

 

[BiopsychStudent]

While a lot of fun, I found my friendships from freshman and sophomore dorms to be very superficial, and the relationships didn't usually last once we stopped living near one another. The people I continue to keep in touch with after college have a lot more in common with me than that we lived together.

That being said I think living in a college dorm is a valuable experience, and its a nice first step to independence from your parents, so you should do it if you can - but don't think its going to form the basis of everlasting friendships, or that you've missed a window of opportunity to socialize by not living in a dorm your freshman year. If you feel your parents are exerting too much control over the course of your studies, and putting a dent in your social life I'm sure there are apartments nearby which might cater to students, even if they're not officially affiliated with the school (though that might not be financially viable).

 

[TTigers70]

Dorming was incredible freshman year. Even if most of the friendships are superficial as some have said, it is a blast going through it while it lasts. People grow apart if you don't see each other often so it can be expected you won't be as close with everyone after you move on. My dorming experience sophomore year was disappointing (no one on my floor ever did anythingggg).

If you do dorm, I will say most friendships are at least started in the first 2 weeks of school. If house parties are your thing and "ratios" are required, set the tone from the first weekend and you will thank yourself midway through the semester.

 

[KUNRD07]

Well, I can't be the only pre-med living at home for college. Anyways I realize that a situation may arise in which I may have to live at home throughout my college career like other pre-meds or student at my school are doing. Now a lot of what I hear is the following:

1. Life (social life) in college dorms is the heaven of enjoyment for most people. Most people enjoy their social life the most during their life their first two years of college when they are living in dorms and that enjoyment never really comes around again.

2. Living in college dorms for the first two years of college or throughout college usually leads to a better social life and more chances to make friends and enjoy the social life of college.

Summing it up: Living in a college dorm usually leads to a strong social life and friends which last throughout life time.

Now I want to hear from you older, more experienced pre-meds and even med students, how much of a "life" does a person miss out on by not living on campus or staying in dorms during college?

Living at home is honestly one of the worst decisions you could ever make.

 

[Slack3r]

I didn't read a single response in this thread, because I don't give a **** what anyone has to say on this matter other than myself. MOVE OUT OF YOUR PARENT'S HOUSE FOR COLLEGE. MOVE INTO A GODDAMN DORM.

Night and day.

Seconded and thirded!

Absolutely live on campus. It'll be the best decision you make in college.

 

[alwaysaangel]

The biggest loss has nothing to do with social life. It has to do with GROWING UP. You need to get out of your parents house - live on your own, cook your own food, pay your own bills, do your own laundry and make your own mistakes.

The most ******ed, frightening people I know lived with their parents during college. They are horrifyingly naive, closed minded, unable to relate to their patients, and unable to take care of themselves.

Move out. The money is well worth the essential experience.

The people I know who lived at home during undergrad are so bad that I have decided I am LITERALLY kicking my kids out of my house when they turn 18. They don't have to go to college - but they gotta go somewhere. No 30 year olds who act like 8 year olds in my life.

 

[estradiol9]

I don't think I missed out on a lot by commuting. I still made friends. I still hung out at campus whenever I wanted to. I slept over in my friends' dorms. I think this depends a lot on the school as well. Some schools have a lot of commuters. Others don't. Some schools are big party schools. Others aren't. I wouldn't want to commute to Penn State or Rutgers-New Brunswick.

 

[Thirty]

Torr: If you are a female then go for it but make sure the girl who asked me to go to the movies with her doesn't find out.

Lol stealth bragger ITT. Classy.

 

[addo]

If you can help it, dont live at home, but if you have to you wont miss out on a crucial life formative experience.

 

[EEFreak]

I live about an hour off campus and I don't mind. I've talked to people about dorm life: some people enjoy it, some people don't. Most of my friends don't even like their roommates. You can still make friends without living on campus. Join clubs and be active in them. Participate in campus events. Form study groups and slowly trick those people into being your friend. You can make a lot of friends in college no matter when you start.

 

[docdonny]

I live about an hour off campus and I don't mind. I've talked to people about dorm life: some people enjoy it, some people don't. Most of my friends don't even like their roommates. You can still make friends without living on campus. Join clubs and be active in them. Participate in campus events. Form study groups and slowly trick those people into being your friend. You can make a lot of friends in college no matter when you start.

This is not the point. Joining clubs is not a part of the college expereince. Study groups???? are you serious....those are the pre-med things you have to do like join clubs, study with an orgo group etc, but they are nop way part of the college experience. It has nothing to do with liking your roomate. Its about those late nights that are fun and crazy as hell that you share with your friends who are no longer under their parents rule. Those are the nights you remember years from now. Your not going to understand what Im saying but I hope someone reading this does. Dont look back on college years from now saying "well gee that study group was great". College is argueably the best 4 years of your life, take advantage of it. Study hard but also play hard you will NEVER experience anything like it again.

 

[EEFreak]

This is not the point. Joining clubs is not a part of the college expereince. Study groups???? are you serious....those are the pre-med things you have to do like join clubs, study with an orgo group etc, but they are nop way part of the college experience. It has nothing to do with liking your roomate. Its about those late nights that are fun and crazy as hell that you share with your friends who are no longer under their parents rule. Those are the nights you remember years from now. Your not going to understand what Im saying but I hope someone reading this does. Dont look back on college years from now saying "well gee that study group was great". College is argueably the best 4 years of your life, take advantage of it. Study hard but also play hard you will NEVER experience anything like it again.

I disagree. Clubs are part of the college experience. I got the EE department to donate us two unused 52 inch TVs. Our lounge is in the subbasement where no body can hear us. 2 AM we've got the music cranked up, more alcohol than a frat-house, and only slightly skewed 3:2 male:female ratio. Before the end of the night multiple girls will be making out together, somebody's clothing will be missing, and the janitor will see things that will haunt him for the rest of his life. We do this every 2-3 weeks.

Both of the clubs I've joined have their parties. IEEE has pretty loud parties either in the subbasement lounge or at somebody's apartment. The physics club has more quiet parties where everybody plays King's Cup, talks, and jokes. I don't know what your definition of the college experience is, but I don't know any dorms where people party nearly as hard as we do. Lock people in a subbasement for 80+ hours a week and they'll go crazy.

About half of my friends live in dorms. I really don't feel like I'm missing out on anything from what they've told me. Then again, I live alone, not with my parents.

Study groups: I was meaning if he is having trouble making friends. He could end up making friends there.

 

[em3761]

^this guy must be a nerd. Seriously. No offense to you btw. I'm just using your foolish perceptions of the world as a beacon for the impressionable youth.

Move into a dorm. It will change your life. Maybe for the worse btw. But that's OK. Because in the long run it'll be for the better.

Just so you know, I'm no spring chicken. I'm older and have been around. I recall the fear of moving out of my parent's house for college. The awkwardness of the initial dorm mixers, etc. But my GOD, within a few months, let alone the years that followed...I wouldn't have changed those experiences for anything. I had the best experiences of my life and met the best friends of my life over the course of it all. And I'm >10 years removed from it.

Trust me. Move out.

I'm not saying you can't find friends in a dorm, I'm just saying it doesn't always happen. Not all dorms are the same and since they're almost always randomly assigned, you could end up with a group of people you don't really want to hang out with. Why would you assume that out of a 5000+ person student body, your best friends will be in a randomly selected group of 100? Dorms are good for learning how to be more independent, and some people make friends in theirs, but there are a lot of people (both nerdy and not) who don't.

Oh and I'm a chick btw.

 

[docdonny]

I'm not saying you can't find friends in a dorm, I'm just saying it doesn't always happen. Not all dorms are the same and since they're almost always randomly assigned, you could end up with a group of people you don't really want to hang out with. Why would you assume that out of a 5000+ person student body, your best friends will be in a randomly selected group of 100? Dorms are good for learning how to be more independent, and some people make friends in theirs, but there are a lot of people (both nerdy and not) who don't.

Oh and I'm a chick btw.

hahah im sorry i habit of always refering to someone as a male online haha. but yeah i guess it depends on the school and from what I saw living at home was a huge detriment to ones social life so I guess it depends on the school

 

[Geekchick921]

Just don't get together with the kids I saw on the quad a couple months ago, theatrically duking it out with plastic light sabers. I think one of them had a cape. Just saying....there are good crowds and bad crowds.

Whatever, man, that sounds like fun.

<- Screen name + theatre major = Obvious response.

 

[slatermd]

The biggest loss has nothing to do with social life. It has to do with GROWING UP. You need to get out of your parents house - live on your own, cook your own food, pay your own bills, do your own laundry and make your own mistakes.

Having read a few of this guy's threads, this is definitely the best and most pertinent advice he will get on this issue.

I don't care if he lives in the dorms or if he fashions himself a gd tree house. I don't care what his social life ends up being. He needs to get away from his parents and take some responsibility for himself.


Oh, and Geekchick, you totally would LARP wouldn't you?

 

[Geekchick921]

LOL! I've actually never LARPed. It sounds like it could be fun, but it's a little too much, even for me. I'll stick to my MMO.

 

[glasshalfMD]

I don't care if he lives in the dorms or if he fashions himself a gd tree house. I don't care what his social life ends up being. He needs to get away from his parents and take some responsibility for himself.

I absolutely agree with this (and alwaysaangel for that matter). I worked as a Resident Assistant for two years JUST so I could afford to live on campus - not a bad gig if your school is laid back like mine. Don't worry guys, I was a cool RA 👍

It's imperative that you learn certain skills required for living away from home, and that you learn them with time to spare before you (hopefully) head off to the crazy world that is medical school where you don't really have time to hone those skills. Just my two cents. It is majorly important.

 

[tman5890]

I feel like the answer you want to hear is that living on campus sucks and you're not missing anything great. It's true to some extent, as long as you don't go straight home after classes. Half the students at my school are commuters and a lot of them go straight home after classes, so they probably have a rough social life. Living on campus can be great, but also very distracting. If your school is like mine, you'll be fine!

 

[Slack3r]

This is not the point. Joining clubs is not a part of the college expereince. Study groups???? are you serious....those are the pre-med things you have to do like join clubs, study with an orgo group etc, but they are nop way part of the college experience. It has nothing to do with liking your roomate. Its about those late nights that are fun and crazy as hell that you share with your friends who are no longer under their parents rule. Those are the nights you remember years from now. Your not going to understand what Im saying but I hope someone reading this does. Dont look back on college years from now saying "well gee that study group was great". College is argueably the best 4 years of your life, take advantage of it. Study hard but also play hard you will NEVER experience anything like it again.

Word.

 

[45408]

Living at home is honestly one of the worst decisions you could ever make.

Except that it's the best financial decision you could make.

It's imperative that you learn certain skills required for living away from home, and that you learn them with time to spare before you (hopefully) head off to the crazy world that is medical school where you don't really have time to hone those skills. Just my two cents. It is majorly important.

Again, living in the dorms doesn't have anything to do with these "skills." You don't have a landlord, utility bills, or even your own yard to maintain. Also, as long as you're not a complete dumb@ss, you can pay your bills and do your laundry.

The biggest loss has nothing to do with social life. It has to do with GROWING UP. You need to get out of your parents house - live on your own, cook your own food, pay your own bills, do your own laundry and make your own mistakes.

The most ******ed, frightening people I know lived with their parents during college. They are horrifyingly naive, closed minded, unable to relate to their patients, and unable to take care of themselves.

There are plenty of people who move into the dorms and never grow up. Moving into the dorms doesn't make you grow up. Having to pay your own bills and manage your own life makes you grow up. Besides, the dorms have cafeterias to make your food, most people I knew in the dorms took their laundry home on weekends to their parents' house, and they weren't paying their bills either way.

If I had had more money, I would have moved out sooner, because it was much much more fun, but you guys are blowing the responsibility horn way too hard. It was more responsible for me to live at home and not blow $10,000+ in living expenses. I'm married, have a child, own a house, and I'm mostly done with my first year of surgery residency. I know what responsibility is, and living in the dorms is not your ticket to it.