I'm finishing high school in 1 and a half years, and am planning on going to uni and possibly doing a three year course. I'm pretty certain I want to leave home before I start. My parents are not rich and they say that if I move out, I am declaring my independence and thus I must support myself financially. I hate studying at home, and I hate having my family around me all the time, I just want to be on my own, or with my friends who I love. Three options that are known to me are: 1. Stay at home 2. Live on campus 3. Stay with friends I'm keenest on staying with my friends. One of my friends has a house that he's going to share with his friends, as long as they contribute towards bills etc. I like this idea, I would have the company of my friends so I wouldn't go nuts, and I would finally be independent, and be able to study when I needed to. This sounds ideal to me, but am I being naive? Is it a good idea? Can anybody who has had experience in this area please help me, I want to do this properly and not mess up. What living arrangements do you recommend? What did you/are you going to do?
Well I have a year left of high school, and I know right now that since I'm going to college out of state that I'll be on campus at least my first 2 years. It's the most economical option because my only other option is either to live with my cousin in downtown Boston and take a train to campus everyday (which would be $40-50 a month) or to get my own apartment which would be expensive. Living on campus not only is the most convinient, but also you meet many more people this way in comparision to commuting. It's also cheaper than getting your own place, or even probably living with friends if they make you pay rent or a share of utilities. It might be a good idea just to deal with it and live with your parents for your first year because you don't want to be suddenly thrust into a uni atmosphere with no money, having to work and take classes to support yourself. But that's just what I would do..
Living with friends can be a challenge to most friendships. If they are responsible about paying bills, it can work out. If not, who gets stuck paying for everything? Are these people dependable? Do they do what they say they're going to do? Can you count on them in other ways? Do they keep the kind of hours you want to keep? Do you get along with their friends? Are they as neat (or not neat) as you would like roommates to be? You need to take a long look at questions such as these before you move in with them. You're probably going to have to deal with all sorts of squabbles about cooking and who buys the little things like toilet paper and light bulbs. If something isn't somebody's job, it usually ends up getting done by nobody. Living on campus is good and bad. The dormitories are generally close to where classes and other events are, and they are usually less expensive than sharing a house or an apartment. If your friends are at the same university, they are going to be close enough that you will see them anyhow. I lived in a dorm, because very few apartments were available in the town where I was a student. Rent was not so cheap, and you didn't get much of a rebate if you didn't live in a dorm. Living off-campus wasn't really much of an option.
everything that sage said, plus, living with friends isn't always conducive to effective studying. also, be aware that many colleges require out of area freshmen to live on campus
I live in a shared flat with people I didn't know before I moved in. I live there since two years, and we get along pretty good. Everyone has his jobs and duties. BUT: I probably would never be friends with them, if I wouldn't live with them. And sage is right, moving in with friends is kind of hard. You guys would probably even have to have some sort of treaty over things like paying bills, doing chores and stuff. Organizing it, and insisting on keeping it through can be hard sometimes. And friendships can really break about these things, Imagine, somebody always leaves the toilette in a mess, and everybody else has to deal with it, since the one doing it, doesn't have a problem with it. Or people like to party a lot, and one want's his sleep. All these things can happen in a dorm as well, but you probably have a council that you can adress for problems. Does your friend's familie own the house? or do you guys have to rent it first? Maybe check what living in a dorm costs, and then compare it to the costs living at your friends or at home. Remember, paying as little as possible is the best option, since you don't want to waste your time working, when you should study.
When I go to college I will probably share an apartment with a roommate, or 2. I just hope I can make my cut with a part time job. We are poor, and unless I get grants I dont know how we are gonna pay for college. Maybe get some money since i'm native american.
