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Deciding on whether to live on campus or not is a hard decision to make. On the one hand the tantalising prospect of living away from home and away from parents is inviting and seems like a great plan! While on the other hand the thought of being completely isolated from your supportive family and your current group of friends can be terrifying to think about.

However living on campus is a great opportunity for students to learn a lot of new things, in their first year especially. The whole point of going to college is not only to learn more about a chosen subject but to also learn about taking responsibility for your actions and learning about just how hard and wonderful it can be to look after yourself.

Most students live on campus when they go to university or college, but there are a few who live at home, either because they are close to the university or college already or because they can commute from home.

Commuting from home can be very stressful for a variety of reasons. While you live at home your parents will still think of you as their child. They will treat you like a child and constantly remind you of the small things you need to do such as paying bills or washing your socks. If you live on campus you will have the freedom to decide for yourself when these things need doing, and if you get it wrong you will be the one who has to take responsibility for your actions instead of waiting for your parents to clean up the mess for you.

Commuting from home means you will need a car or you will have to invest in a student bus or train ticket. Cars are not cheap and will eat into your funds as much as a bus or train ticket will. Cars are more reliable than public transport but cost more to run. You will have to travel everyday into college or university to go to lectures and if you want to socialise afterwards you will have to remember that you can't drink and drive, and if you go by public transport most of them stop running by eleven o'clock.

Living on campus means you don't have to travel as far to get home and you can stay out later with friends without having to worry about the time and how to get home quite so much.

Living away from home also means you learn about taking responsibility for looking after yourself and keeping on track with everything you need to do. You are responsible for any late bills, for washing your clothes, and making sure you eat well and healthily. Your parents won't be around to remind you about everything that needs doing, but you will soon find that you quite enjoy the freedom of choosing what you want to do and when you do it. It is very liberating and can be a lot of fun.

Being closer to everyone you know is nice too. Quite often sup of the moment parties' crop up or a group of friends will meet up round someone's house to watch movies or just hang out. If you were living away from campus then it would be less likely for you to get there and back for these spontaneous events.

Living on campus can be a lot of fun but is hard work. Some people find that they prefer the commute to living on campus simply because they find it difficult to juggle their work, social life and looking after themselves. Campus life is not for everyone but it is a great and rewarding experience. I would recommend trying it out before you make any judgements about it.

Learn more about this author, Sora Jhannoa.
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