Commuter colleges, colleges where kids commute, instead of living on campus, can save students from being in thousands of dollars of debt. The average room and board is upwards of ten thousand dollars a year, according to the College Board statistics. Included in room and board is the meal plan, amenities such as use of the gym and pool, and other extras. When a student chooses to commute, they have to weigh all the pros and cons to find the best fit for themselves.

Julia Ortiz, a Senior at H.M.T.C.A.,  is considering living off campus next year while she attends Santa Monica Community College. She says that, “I have to choose to live off campus because the school [SMCC] doesn’t offer dorms”. Although she was disappointed, she is now excited to learn how to pay bills, apartment hunt and have her own personal space in LA. She believes that it will set her up better than her counterparts after college.

While some colleges don’t even offer dorms, others make it mandatory to live in a dorm for first year students. Big colleges such as The University of Oregon makes it required to live on campus as  first year students, citing that it will help the student build connections inside and outside the classroom. An addition is that it’s not possible to commute to these big colleges because they don’t allow first year students to have cars on campus.

Second year students are allowed to bring their car on campus, but at a price of a couple hundred dollars per year. Many students chose to live off campus their third and fourth year. Colleges such as University of New Hampshire offer apartments for rent right on campus for students who chose this, or offer help finding a place for groups of students. This allows the student to find their bearings the first two years and become really independent their last years.

On campus living provides the student with access to everything on campus, including; dining, fitness centers, and many other amenities, which can range from rock climbing walls to clubs and activities. These do come at a hefty price of ten thousand dollars, but commuting isn’t as cheap as some people believe. If you live in the state with your parents and only have to pay tuition, it can be cheaper. However if you live far away from the college and have to drive, you will rack up money from gas and other transportation. Unfortunately that limits students to schools in their area, which doesn’t allow the student to be independent. If a student chooses to go out of state, they may have to pay upwards of 1,000 a month for their own apartment, unless they chose to share it with another person.

When asked about whether or not Julia thinks she will have a harder time making connections she says, “Living off campus doesn’t risk me not being able to have close relationships with my peers”. She goes on to mention that she still has class time to hang with them, but prefers to explore the city herself and wants to have her own space at the end of the day.  According to Susana Rafaela’s perspective, a freshman who attends Manchester Community College, living on campus creates an awesome experience towards adulthood and independence, but she still prefers, ‘’living with the people I know I can trust and rely on’’. Rafaela has a strong relationship with her parents, allowing her to feel more comfortable at home as they share mutual respect and highlight their privacy terms, which may be the case of lots of students.

One very interesting point that Rafaela brought up as the interview went on is that a lot of students think that going to college is what is going to automatically turn them into adults. Throwing yourself into a brand new way of living might be pretty risky to be able to adapt, plus you only get to change when you choose to change, not when you are forced to. Rafaela said that she knows a lot of college students who are really responsible with their college work and adult life even on freshmen year, “but there is also a lot of others who don’t show as much appreciation to be there, and these are the ones who waste a lot of their time partying and loosing their focus with other young students their age.’’ The loss of focus from suddenly being able to “do whatever you want’’, since your by yourself in college, might affect you later on; but that’s a responsibility you have to choose to carry on.

When living on campus students have to be together. They live together, eat together, and study together. Some students prefer constant interactions but others don’t. The University of Vermont has implemented new choice for on campus students. You can live with students who have a shared interest or majoring in similar fields. UVM cite’s that this will help students both academically and socially to avoid awkward situations.

Either way, college can be a great experience for the student, if they chose to live on or off campus. Off campus may lack independence and socialization. Living on campus may provide the ‘’full college experience’’ most youth dream about, but it also might include going into debt. Remembering that commuting also affords you the opportunity to experience a deeper taste of adulting since you might be running your own living area. Allowing your space to have your own rules and regulations, and you won’t have to deal with sharing a room .