should i live at home?

[scrubswannabe]

Basically this is the deal, my parents live 30-40 minutes away from the med school and I'm thinking about living with them - they told me they would give me the basement all to myself and they are pretty chill and I wouldn't mind living at home. I'm worried though that for med school this will be too long of a commute - and maybe I'll miss out on important study time and group sessions becasue of this? I'm not worried about the social aspect really, just the studying. I've roomed with someone all of college but I think there were way too many distractions and really I could have studied better by myself most of the time as opposed to in groups. Do you think this would follow through for medical school too? I'm not sure what I'm asking but just wondering if it would be a good idea to live 30 minutes away from the med school? THanks.

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[digitalraid]

You should be fine if that's a preferable living environment for you. some of the people in my med school class live nearly an hour away from school. I live near the school for now but in 3rd/4th year I'll live from home which is about 50 minutes away from my school to save money (i figure in 1st/2nd year almost everyone is close by my school and i'd like to be part of that whereas in 3rd/4th year everyone is pretty much doing their own thing).

 

[monkeymeg2]

I have about a 20-25 minute commute and live with my parents. Its great to save the money on rent and I enjoy being with my family. I really can't say how nice it is to not have to worry about making dinner or grocery shopping. I actually enjoy my commute to and from school because it gives me some time to decompress a little bit. Plus, I think it would've made me sort of anxious to be surrounded by my classmates ALL the time--its nice to talk about something other than med school. If you have a supportive environment, go for it. Granted, there are probably going to be a few more distractions, but there are a lot of benefits, as well. Just weigh your options and decide what's right for you. Besides, if it doesn't work out, its probably a whole lot easier to get an apartment mid year than be stuck with one for a year if you would've rather lived at home.

 

[monkeymeg2]

Oh and as far as the study groups thing goes...it probably won't be that big of a deal. I only do the study group thing for 2 of my classes and usually we just grab dinner after class and then meet for a few hours. That way, you aren't making an extra commute. You probably will only work with a study group 1-2 times a week if its usually not your thing (though you'll probably find it helpful for a couple of your classes). You'll figure out what works for you.

 

[secretwave101]

Whatever you can do to save money and still be happy, you should do. Loan overhead once you're in residency and out in practice will have a huge impact on your decisions. Debt is inversely proportional to freedom. If you can save on living expense...do it.

 

[Writer1985]

30 minutes isn't outrageously far. You could probably use the commute time to study if you are taking public transportation. And even otherwise, if your school podcasts lectures you could burn them to CDs and study as you drive.

Given the time and money you'd save on things like grocery shopping and cooking and general maintenance, it's probably worth it.

 

[sendwich]

considering the huge amount of $$ you'd be saving, staying home will be worth it in the long run. if after 1st yr (or heck, 1st semester) you find yourself not being able to live w/ the parents, you can always move out then. try it and see how living at home works for you first.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I'd do it. It sounds like your parents aren't going to drive you crazy, and yes, saving rent is a huge thing. The commute is actually a normal commute for lots of med students in lots of cities, and you might find yourself going to school a lot less than you anticipate.

 

[diosa428]

Try it out. If you hate it, you can always find an apartment.

 

[TMP-SMX]

I live at home and I carpool with my fiancée that lives nearby. It usually takes about 40 minutes on an average day. I usually stream lectures anyway so it doesn't really matter anyway.

As for my parents, my mom is retired but she makes jewelry and has shows every once in a while. So I rarely see her much anyway as I'm either at school, asleep, or with my fiancée. My dad works and helps out my mom too.

 

[doc20]

another thing that is really important and no one mentions is, you really have to know whether your family home environment is conducive to studying, if you have parents asking you to do chores, or relatives dropping in every weekend, etc etc.
I know you probably think I will just study in the library, but you always want to leave a back up option of being able to study at your own place where there is no one to bother you.
If you are considering staying home, this should be your # 1 factor in decision, commuting not so much. you can always play some audio/video and study while in the car too

 

[-Goose-]

Basically this is the deal, my parents live 30-40 minutes away from the med school and I'm thinking about living with them - they told me they would give me the basement all to myself and they are pretty chill and I wouldn't mind living at home. I'm worried though that for med school this will be too long of a commute - and maybe I'll miss out on important study time and group sessions becasue of this? I'm not worried about the social aspect really, just the studying. I've roomed with someone all of college but I think there were way too many distractions and really I could have studied better by myself most of the time as opposed to in groups. Do you think this would follow through for medical school too? I'm not sure what I'm asking but just wondering if it would be a good idea to live 30 minutes away from the med school? THanks.

Do it. It'll save some $$ and its not like you'll have a social life anyways.

Although, it sucks to tell the ladies "We have to go back to your place..."

 

[imable24]

It depends on your parents and how much you think you can study at home. I find that I don't study best at home, so I end up spending a lot of time studying at school. Plus living with my parents makes me feel like I'm in high school.

 

[ziggy793]

While I did my pre-med requirements as a Post-Bac, I found it difficult living at home since i didnt have people surrounding me in the same situation during exams time. I have found it beneficial to have people around me so we could vent and support each other.

Also, I just find it difficult to live at home since I have a bf who I would like to stay with me some nights. It's just too weird if I live at home. Big price for having your own space though

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Make sure your parents understand what medical school is like so they don't get disappointed. I know my parents were happy when I said I was going to spend part of the summer between M2 and M3 year at home while I studied for boards. They thought it'd be great to have their son around again. What they got was essentialy a ghost who spent all day in his room studying, only occasionally making an appearance downstairs. Let your parents know you're going to be gone early in the morning, home late at night more often than not. You may not be able to come upstairs and visit for very long when Uncle Bill and Aunt Lisa stop by because you've got a test on Monday.

Also, not to be crass, but don't neglect your social needs as well. It's hard enough to have a social life in medical school. Living in your parents basement never impresses possible dates

 

[wisconsindoctor]

Factors to consider:

1: think with your head and not your tail (meaning, if a lady don't like it, then big deal)

2: just how much money will you save? I would guess about 1,000 dollars a month. That is if you live in a low cost area.

3: how busy of a commute is it? You can use this to your advantage. You will be exposed to the real world and not stuck next to the hospital/clinic for two full years.

4: having a roomate in medical school isn't as much of a big deal as it is when you are an undergrade student.

5: parents need to realize you will be gone at about 6:30 am and not home until about 11pm every day and gone during the weekend or studying all day on the weekend.

6: You have the choice of moving later on if you don't want to live at home anymore

7: people might look at your weird for moving back home with your parents, but you will need to look past that and realize just how much money you will save. You will be saving a heck of a lot of money. I would suspect a good 30k dollars of savings by living at home while a medical student. You will also be able to eat healthier.

8: you won't be stuck around medical school 24/7 and medical students 24/7

 

[Rotinaj]

If you get along with your parents, do it. I moved out when I was 18, and now I'm 24 and just moved back in with my parents while doing college. I cost them virtually nothing, my girlfriend stays over all the time and I love not having to work 30+ hours a week to pay rent which is fine by me.

 

[EM_Rebuilder]

Basically this is the deal, my parents live 30-40 minutes away from the med school and I'm thinking about living with them - they told me they would give me the basement all to myself and they are pretty chill and I wouldn't mind living at home. I'm worried though that for med school this will be too long of a commute - and maybe I'll miss out on important study time and group sessions becasue of this? I'm not worried about the social aspect really, just the studying. I've roomed with someone all of college but I think there were way too many distractions and really I could have studied better by myself most of the time as opposed to in groups. Do you think this would follow through for medical school too? I'm not sure what I'm asking but just wondering if it would be a good idea to live 30 minutes away from the med school? THanks.

I WISH I could have lived at home for medical school!!

As far as the commute, that being long or short kind of depends on what town you are on. My medical school drive time was less than 5 mins. A buddy of mine spent 60 mins at a different school in traffic every morning.

In the big scheme of thing, I think 30-40 mins drive time is not bad at all considering the free rent thing... and its not so much the free rent that adds up.... its the laundry, warm meals, etc etc that presumbly will be done for you most of the time.

 

[Slide]

If you can bear the 30 minute commute, I'd do it. The med school environment is much different compared to undergrad; you don't need to surround yourself with your colleagues because it can be stressful at times and I personally feel I made my best friends in college, not medical school, so I'm keeping a low profile. Maybe I'm being self-centered in my view of medical school, but my opinion is that for these 2 years, focus on yourself and studying the material. In 2 years, everyone splits off and rotates anyway. You can socialize and get to know your colleagues more during residency because that's when you'll be seeing them on a consistent basis.

 

[OncHeme2B]

STAY AT HOME! Med school classmates are just drama! You will be removed from all the gossip and mean competitive people, and not having to worry about basic necessities will save you THOUSANDS of dollars! And also, most med students don't go to class anyway, they just study on their own time.

The only thing is - make at least one GOOD friend in your med school class that is dependable. That way, you'll have the hookup to old tests, Kaplan stuff, etc. And make sure your home is really quiet and people aren't coming over all the time.

Plus - a social life isn't all it's cracked up to be. When you get a little older, bars and clubs and parties won't interest you anymore, and getting dressed up to go out and go shopping almost seems tedious...you won't want to leave your room...because it just wastes too much time. Just keep one or two friends to have nice dinners and drinks with every now and then.

 

[OncHeme2B]

Oh yeah if you're lonely - don't hesitate to go to the library or bookstore every now and then if you get tired of being around your parents all the time - you will be surprised at the sexy, smart people you will meet at Borders or Barnes and Noble. Definitely better than meeting someone at a bar or club

 

[sglec]

Man...all that talk about saving money on rent and having food on your plate does sound tempting and all but...

 

[smq123]

starving and drowning yourself in debt doesn't seem like that much of a big deal...

It's nice to be 19 years old and be able to afford to think that way, isn't it?

 

[FPLover]

It depends on if you have lived with your parents as a student and as an adult. Not sure your situation, but if your parents are the type to have you "helping out" with the family's responsibilities (dishes, mopping, cooking, finances, etc.) it might not be a good idea. These 4 years are a time when you have to be selfish. So "No mom, I can't pick you up from the store" and other ways to say no would have to become a major part of your vocabulary. If you have problems saying no to your folks, I would not recommend living at home. Maybe you could rent a house with other classmates to save money instead?

 

[Tiger26]

I wish I could live at home--that would be sweet

 

[prettymonkey]

i will be going to school about 25 minutes from my parents house but i have decided to get an apartment within walking distance from school. i plan to go home frequently to steal food and paper towels and such. i cannot study at my parents house to save my life.

 

[sglec]

It's nice to be 19 years old and be able to afford to think that way, isn't it?

yep

 

[LizUMD]

My parents don't live near my school, but my grandparents live 45 minutes away. I am going to try living with them next year and commuting. My grandparents are young-ish and cool. And grandmom cooks awesome meals! Plus they have a nice big empty house with a pool and I'll basically get my own floor. I'm looking forward to it. Rent alone is a minimum $800/mo with roommates not to mention a cut of utilities and groceries. To save $10,000 a year on student loans is a huge deal. I'm not worried about socializing... My grandparents wouldn't care when I come and go anyway.