Congrats on surviving the extended blackout that was your senior year. Oh, what’s that? You want to get a job? Good luck. If you didn’t go straight to graduate school to avoid the real world for another couple years, you might be in my position: living at home. You’re broke, and your parents have a moral obligation not to let you starve, so you moved home. Or, you could have been lucky enough to be from the suburbs and have a job in whatever big city you live close to–you live at home to save up because you think it’s stupid to rent an apartment when you can stay in your own room. Mind you, this is NOT my case. I’m from one of the smallest towns in New England nestled at the foot of a mountain where there is no “big city.” There are also no opportunities for anyone who majored in international relations. This situation might seem horrible in every way, but it isn’t as bad as you may think it is.
Pro: No Rent
Okay, this might not be entirely true, especially in my case. But let’s be real: a three bedroom apartment in Allston, Mass., which is a prime spot for Boston University students, can run each roommate upwards of $1,000 a month. Paying my parents $75 every other week to cover my part of the groceries is much better in my mind. And if you have parents who don’t make you pay any rent? Even better.
Con: No Privacy
You can’t watch TV in peace, and you can’t go out without your parents questioning your motives. It’s even worse if your dad doesn’t believe in alcohol in the first place (yep, you read that right). Sometimes you need to hang out with people your own age, but your only sanctuary is your room. Considering you had to unpack everything from college a few months ago, there isn’t a lot of space in there to hang out.
Pro: Someone Is Always There To Help You Through A Quarterlife Crisis
Realizing that you’re stuck at home for a year before you start graduate school might be one of the most depressing not-actually-that-bad things in your life. You’re jealous of your friends who are already in some type of graduate school, and their Instagrams and Twitters will make you jealous. Even worse, you might start missing actual schoolwork. You start panicking that your life is headed in the wrong direction, or that you can’t stand another day in your hometown. But the best part of all these freak outs? Your mom will hug you and tell you that everything will be okay. And let’s face it, that’s never going to get old.
Con: Parents Are The Biggest Cockblock
Let’s say that you met a cute out-of-stater at the bar, or maybe you’ve finally hit it off with a guy you went to high school with who definitely blossomed in college. If you want to go home with him, you absolutely need to go to his place. Your father stays up late to watch the news in the living room, which is visible from the hallway outside your bedroom. Yeah, that’s not going to help the situation. Neither is having to explain the random car in your driveway. Trying to avoid your mom in the morning? I’d imagine it’s no use. I never had to sneak out of my house or sneak someone else out, so I don’t have a lot of practice. It’s also not like there are guys lining up to spend the night with me, so while this seems like the biggest con, depending on the situation of your love life, it might not be.
Pro: You’ll Never Have Roommates Who Love You This Much Again
This holds true until you find that beautiful man deserving enough to be your husband. But your parents, even though they might be a bit annoyed you’re still with them after they thought they were empty nesters for good, are the two people in this world who have loved you every day. They are the people who put 18 years into raising you, which probably wasn’t easy. They likely paid for your college education, which even with financial aid was probably extremely difficult for them. Additionally, they might have paid your dues, which, combined with tuition, means that they were basically directly responsible for all the fun you had in college. Even though you might not want to live at home for a while after college, they probably don’t really want you there either. However, because they love you and because they’ve always supported you, here you are, perhaps reading this from your laptop in your childhood bed, just like how I wrote it.
Nice Move156
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glitteronthefloor
Currently living at home as post-grad after graduating from a New England university, Glitteronthefloor is soon headed to Northern Ireland to get her Masters degree. In the mean time, she spends her time working, Netflixing and reading TSM and Buzzfeed. She's obsessed with all things America, New England and glitter.
@mharr25
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