Picking the right living situation while you’re at university can be difficult, and it can be an expensive exercise as well, so let’s weigh up the pros and cons of living with the ‘rents while studying – one of the more obvious ways of cutting costs while you’re a student. PEDESTRIAN.TV has partnered with CommBank because they’re helping students be a little more free financially with their exclusive discounts called Student Options. It gives students a helping hand to save a bit of money so you can put a bit away, regardless of if you’re boarding at uni, in a share house or in your family’s home. CommBank’s also giving away $10,000 just for being on Student Options. For more info, head to CommBank’s website HERE.
There are three main accommodation options available for students: you can board at uni, join an off-campus share house, or stay in your family’s home. We’re hoping to help you make the right choice of where to live by looking at the latter of these, and weighing up the pros and cons involved with living in your parent’s house.
PRO: STAY HEALTHY
You’re obviously going to be interacting with a lot of people when boarding on-campus, which is fantastic for meeting new people and making friends. However, when flu season rolls around, you’re drastically increasing your odds of catching a bug because of this. Flus and colds have a habit of lingering around as well, meaning you might catch one more than once.
If you live with your parents, you’ll reduce your odds of picking up a cold because you’re not exposing yourself to as many people. You’re also limiting the chances of catching it a second time around.
Besides, what’s better than your mum’s chicken soup and TLC when you’re feeling a bit under the weather?
CON: LACK OF FREEDOM
Because our parents care about us so much, it’s easy for them to forget we’re not small children anymore. Living with them means they’ll still be involved in most of what you do – because they’ll be privy to what you’re up to – which can be frustrating when you’re trying to develop your own sense of independence.
PRO: LOTS OF ALONE TIME
When you’re boarding on-campus or living in a share house you can often feel obliged to socialise with those around you. It probably has something to do with literally being surrounded by people.
Living with your parents means you’ll have a space all to your own, and seeing as they withstood your angsty teen-years, they (usually) know to leave you be in peace.
CON: FEELING UNINVOLVED
One of uni’s greatest aspects is its community culture. There’s a bond created between students who’re all looking to better themselves, and tertiary institutions foster that connection with events such as O-Week activities.
Seeing as these community events take place on-campus, those who live in a dorm are more likely to participate – chiefly because the activations are taking place at their doorstep. Living off-campus creates an immediate barrier to involvement in this regard.
PRO: STAYING SLIM + TRIM
The jury’s out on whether or not there’s any truth to the idea of the Fresher Five. The Fresher Five – A.K.A Freshman 15 (15 pounds, not kilos) or Fresher Spread – is the supposed 5kg weight gain dorm-dwellers experience in their first year boarding on-campus.
The reason for the gain? Those who believe there’s truth to the theory blame it on the buffet-style meals given in dorm eating halls, in addition to a lack of self-restraint.
When living with your parents, you’ll still be eating the solid, home cooked meals your parents usually make. This eliminates the Fresher Five, regardless of whether there’s any truth to it.
CON: THE COMMUTE & PARKING
Living off-campus means one thing is for sure: a frustrating commute. As much as you’ll try and avoid it, early lectures and tutorials are an inevitability of tertiary education. In order to get to them on time, you’ll need to travel during periods of heavy congestion.
Those who opt for a bus or train journey face packed carriages full of people. For the drivers amongst you, you’ve got to sit in dense traffic for potentially hours – not to mention the struggle that is finding a parking spot.
GIANT PRO: FINANCIAL FREEDOM
Although many find it challenging, it’s possible to use your time at home during uni as a savings incubation period, of sorts.
Living with your parents while you’re at uni means you won’t need to later. Those who’re working part-time and living in a share house might be able to pull off the transition from uni to full-time employment, but those residing on on-campus dorms may not. After three or four years, working hard to achieve a sense of independence, you’ll have to move back home while you hunt for a job.
Assuming you’ve got a small income rolling in, and your parents are generous enough to only charge you a small amount of board (or ideally, none at all), you’ll be able to save up a nice nest-egg to do with as you please. There should be plenty there to travel a couple of times, as well as leftover funds to aid in setting yourself up for your future.
In our humble opinion, having the financial freedom that living at home during uni bestows is its biggest perk.
CommBank is helping all uni-bound people be a little more free – regardless of where you decide to live for the duration of your degree – by providing student banking products with exclusive discounts on Student Options. You’ve got the chance to win $10,000 just by being on Student Options to do with as you please. For more information on how CommBank can help you be a little bit more free, head to their website HERE.
