Living At Home For Uni: The Pros And Cons

Uni isn’t about getting as far away from your parents as possible and partying it up. A recent report from the Higher Education Funding Council looks at the characteristics of students who live at home during their first year of studying.

Whatever your reason is to stay a home, it’s worth weighing up the pros and cons before you make that final decision.

Pros

Save money

Living away means you’re paying for rent, bills, food, the general cost of living and going out etc. If you stay at home, you’ll either be lucky enough to not have to pay anything or you might chip in here and there.

Home comforts

Your TV is where you want it, you can enjoy home cooked food daily, you can take as long as you want in the shower, your fridge is always full of all your favourite foods and you don’t have to endure a bunch of nosy students at silly o’clock… Basically home is where the heart and the good life is.

Emotional support

Uni can be a hugely stressful and emotional time to say the least. If you’re living at home, you’ll have that constant support network around you. A cuddle from mama always makes you feel better.

Less distractions

Studying at uni halls/flats can be tricky, especially when you’re trying to do some work. At least when you’re at home you won’t have the students coming in at 3am waking you up. Or loud music blaring when you’re trying to study. Plus if you’re easily persuaded then you could end up neglecting your studies for another night out.

Cons

The commute

If your uni isn’t a 15-minute bus ride away and you’re facing a long commute every day, this can get tedious.

Feeling left out

Many first-year friendships are forged in student halls and nights out rather than in lectures. There’ll be things you won’t be a part of because you’re not living on campus.

Lack of freedom

You’ll still have to follow house rules and probably won’t be able to get away with as many nights out as you wanted. You’ll still have to answer to your parents and they’ll know your every move.

Lack of social aspect and community feel

You won’t be as involved in activities and other spontaneous events as you won’t be there after uni hours. This can lead to not making as many friends as the students who actually live at uni.

Whatever you decide to do, don’t leave it too late. Most uni accommodations need to be booked in by the end of August, or you could end up with a place that you don’t like. And that’s an option nobody wants.

Haleema Khokhar also known as Kimi (a college nickname that stayed) is a journalism graduate working in the world of marketing and freelance writing. She loves animals, dance and a strong cup of tea. Check out her website and Twitter at @MyImpression_ you can also check out her personal Twitter at @KimiKhokhar 

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