Living at home while attending nearby college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would gladly pay 150K for my kid to go to Carnegie Mellon over GMU. Completely worth it if I/student is not going into debt. I would gladly pay. Not everyone goes into debt.

if you have 150k to burn, go ahead. Less than 0.1% who attended Carnegie Mellon for Engineering program will be successful like Marc Ewing. The remaining 99.5% will have engineering jobs just like everyone else.

My company recently hired a couple of new Computer Engineer graduates, one from JMU and the other one from Carnegie Mellon. They both have the same salary.

I don't have 150k so it is about maximizing the ROI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

because my kid would never want to share a bedroom

This is odd. Don't enable this. You do your child no favor by sheltering them from others. Learning to live with roommates is important. Most people have several roommates over the course of the college years, some they choose, some they don't. And all are important. I would almost say essential. The person gains a perspective on manners and common courtesy and what it takes to live with others - - those who don't love them and excuse behavior because they're family. The person will be a better spouse, probably pick a better spouse, be a better in-law, and houseguest. The mistakes of others, they witness in the dorm are as much a learning experience as their own flaws that are pointed-out by others. Don't short-change your kid by the spoiling of not sharing a room.

Sharing a bedroom with a person other than a chosen spouse, is the frigging pits. Zero privacy, ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have this situation? Would be good to hear from people for whom it works and how. Thanks.

Most undergrad students worldwide do this, and helps them be free of onerous loans as they graduate.

Can't wait to hear Sanders explain how the "free college" idea actually works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

because my kid would never want to share a bedroom

This is odd. Don't enable this. You do your child no favor by sheltering them from others. Learning to live with roommates is important. Most people have several roommates over the course of the college years, some they choose, some they don't. And all are important. I would almost say essential. The person gains a perspective on manners and common courtesy and what it takes to live with others - - those who don't love them and excuse behavior because they're family. The person will be a better spouse, probably pick a better spouse, be a better in-law, and houseguest. The mistakes of others, they witness in the dorm are as much a learning experience as their own flaws that are pointed-out by others. Don't short-change your kid by the spoiling of not sharing a room.

Sharing a bedroom with a person other than a chosen spouse, is the frigging pits. Zero privacy, ever.

+1 I’m 51. As an adult I’ve never had to share a bedroom. I don’t feel “short-changed” by not living in a 10x10 room with a stranger for 9 months, LMAO. I think PP is being extremely overdramatic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

because my kid would never want to share a bedroom

This is odd. Don't enable this. You do your child no favor by sheltering them from others. Learning to live with roommates is important. Most people have several roommates over the course of the college years, some they choose, some they don't. And all are important. I would almost say essential. The person gains a perspective on manners and common courtesy and what it takes to live with others - - those who don't love them and excuse behavior because they're family. The person will be a better spouse, probably pick a better spouse, be a better in-law, and houseguest. The mistakes of others, they witness in the dorm are as much a learning experience as their own flaws that are pointed-out by others. Don't short-change your kid by the spoiling of not sharing a room.

Sharing a bedroom with a person other than a chosen spouse, is the frigging pits. Zero privacy, ever.

+1 I’m 51. As an adult I’ve never had to share a bedroom. I don’t feel “short-changed” by not living in a 10x10 room with a stranger for 9 months, LMAO. I think PP is being extremely overdramatic.

Ha! My daughter works all summer to afford the upcharge on a single occupancy dorm room. I didn’t realize we were “short-changing” the girl for allowing her to do this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completely understand the cost issue driving kids to stay at home but not living on campus really deprives the child of the full richness of the college experience and to pretend otherwise is delusional.

Meh. Like tipping and wearing clunky white tennis shoes and exercise attire despite having no plans to exercise...the whole “college experience” is one of those things foreigners find so perplexing about Americans. The on-campus residential experience is not something the vast, vast majority of the world has, to act like anyone is “deprived” is delusional.

[Anonymous]

My DD lived in a dorm for 3 semesters and hated it. She came home and is commuting to UMd. She's much happier and I'm glad to have her back. Just be aware, the dynamic will likely need to change between you, as there's a difference in having a teen living at home and "adult" college student.

On the other hand, I enjoyed living away from home at college and couldn't imagine the college experience otherwise, even if living in a noisy dorm was less than ideal at times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP and I lived on campus for my university in the UK 2 out of the 3 years. I had a single room when on campus and a single room when off campus. Living off campus in a house with 2 other students was more educative about "real life". We had to do our own bed sheets and clean the house and cook - there was no cafeteria to go to for 3 meals a day. We took the bus or walked to classes and home again.

Really there are some very helpful posts on this thread, and I'm grateful for that, but also some truly asinine folks who should just pack their bags now and go away.

No one changed my sheets or cleaned my dorm rooms in college? I had to do that for myself as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP and I lived on campus for my university in the UK 2 out of the 3 years. I had a single room when on campus and a single room when off campus. Living off campus in a house with 2 other students was more educative about "real life". We had to do our own bed sheets and clean the house and cook - there was no cafeteria to go to for 3 meals a day. We took the bus or walked to classes and home again.

Really there are some very helpful posts on this thread, and I'm grateful for that, but also some truly asinine folks who should just pack their bags now and go away.

No one changed my sheets or cleaned my dorm rooms in college? I had to do that for myself as well.

congratulations.

[Anonymous]

I think it's up to what you and your family want to do. If it is a financial reason, then do what's best for you financially. If it's health related, then make that decision. At the end of the day, I don't think you can say that it's good or bad based on others because your kid is your kid, not mine, and your family is your family and not mine. And if you make one decision for the first year and it's not working then change the next year. Find out what your kid wants and why and is it a legitimate reason. Like I wouldn't let my dd live at home if the only reason is because her boyfriend is living at home and she just wants to be closer to him.

[Anonymous]

My child has anxiety and says he wants to live at home for college. I'm hoping he grows out of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

because my kid would never want to share a bedroom

This is odd. Don't enable this. You do your child no favor by sheltering them from others. Learning to live with roommates is important. Most people have several roommates over the course of the college years, some they choose, some they don't. And all are important. I would almost say essential. The person gains a perspective on manners and common courtesy and what it takes to live with others - - those who don't love them and excuse behavior because they're family. The person will be a better spouse, probably pick a better spouse, be a better in-law, and houseguest. The mistakes of others, they witness in the dorm are as much a learning experience as their own flaws that are pointed-out by others. Don't short-change your kid by the spoiling of not sharing a room.

Why?

Other than my first semester in college, I never had to share bedrooms or had a roommate in my life. Never. I'm a pretty good spouse and an excellent houseguest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child has anxiety and says he wants to live at home for college. I'm hoping he grows out of it.

OP here. Mine too. I am hoping he grows out of it as well, but meanwhile, I am also gathering examples of where it could work, if he doesn't grow out of it.

[Anonymous]

Why don't you have DC live in the dorms just freshman year? They can make friends, feel involved, find their way around campus, then come back home for the next 4 years. I think most people make friends through dorms, at least at first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have this situation? Would be good to hear from people for whom it works and how. Thanks.

This is really the very best option for many smart kids these days.