By Chris Boline
Coming out of high school and into the university, I was as lost as most college students, and like Too $hort said, I was trying to “Get In Where You Fit In.”
While the University of Nevada has given me more than I could have ever expected and my life has changed dramatically over the last three years, one thing has at least stayed the same: I still live with the folks. I’m not ashamed to admit this. In fact I’m very proud of my “roommates” and how “chill” they are. It’s funny to think that former editor-in-chief Juan Lopez shared stories about his sex life and insecurities, and my big contribution to the student body is admitting that living with your parents is okay; at least it is for me.
So without further ado, here are my three biggest reasons why waiting to move out is important:
It might not just be right for you yet
Like many things in college, finding your niche isn’t easy and takes plenty of trial and error. I have heard housing horror stories from many residence halls, The Highlands and others and I can safely say I don’t want any part of it anytime soon. Of course, it might just be a matter of pragmatism in the sense that many students need to move out to take the load off of their parents, or they simply need to move away. However, for those from around the 775, where driving to school is moderately easy, this should be a prime consideration.
Living on your own is expensive
Keeping up your grades is tough on its own, but focusing on school in an entirely different environment with added stress of paying bills is no simple task. The best story I’ve heard from not being able to pay for some of the more luxurious parts of college cuisine was from someone who was forced to subsist on peanut butter and honey sandwiches for a whole month. While this might sound enticing for some, I prefer the high life of Chili’s once a week.
There are some exceptions to this case of less being more. In fact, former Nevada Sagebrush columnist, Fil Corbitt, admitted that he enjoyed his house not having any heating (at all) and instead opted for a fortress of solitude made of blankets. I however, disagree with Mr. Corbitt (who is also a reported sadomasochist and a great guy) and prefer to lounge in luxury next to a roaring fire with my family dogs Waffles, Pepper and Wally.
It has to be the right situation
Of course, the biggest backlash to this column will come from the notion that people (including myself) will not have matured enough once they have graduated college and will look for further support from family. This is a fair determination, but I can report that a significant number of my friends moved into residence halls my freshman year and eventually dropped out or their grades suffered too much to overlook. Looking to move out so you can party more isn’t the right reason to do it (if you’re looking to keep up your grades), but seeking independence is a great alternative.
Plus if anything, you can just party at your friend’s houses when they all move out and reap the benefits of never having to clean up (although you probably should).
Forcing yourself to move out because “everyone is doing it” is stupid. This might be a little harsh, but it’s true. Do things on your own terms, and be proud of it. I mean where do you think YOLO comes from?
Chris Boline can be reached at cboline@sagebrush.unr.edu.