Face-Off: Home is where the heart is
As seniors, we’re getting ready to end our time at Rider and start our lives as young adults. Things are exciting. There’s a newly found freedom from lectures and exams. All of our hard work over the past four years has finally boiled down to the exact moment of shaking President Rozanski’s hand and receiving our diploma.
Because of this, some of us are ready to completely spread our wings and fly — find the job of our dreams, and move out of our parents’ house for good. On the other hand, some of us aren’t ready to take that big a step. Sure, that dream job might be nailed down; however, moving out isn’t an option just yet — and that’s OK.
It’s perfectly all right to not be ready to leave the nest (and most of the time, your mom probably won’t mind keeping her “baby” around longer, either). Having a job after college while still living at home with your parents isn’t the end of the world. In fact, at the end of the day, it could actually be a pretty smart decision to stay.
Obviously, living at home allows you to save money that might be more important than you think. Some jobs might involve a long commute and that could really add up. Jobs in big cities like New York and Philadelphia require more expenses than other jobs. Some people might have to take a train or bus to work, and depending on where you’re located, there’s the option of the subway as well. There are gas costs, which is a given. All of these add up monthly. Having those expenses on top of paying rent and utilities and whatever else you might need could become overwhelming for a recent graduate. Living at home eliminates a number of extra fees that you would otherwise have to worry about.
And sometimes, we’re just not ready. It’s no secret that some college students aren’t the best cooks — this is proven when the fire alarm goes off at 1 a.m. because of burning instant mac & cheese. Taking the time to ease into being a complete adult is a great thing to do before heading out into the real world. Some people adjust faster than others, and there’s no reason to feel bad about yourself because you want to take that time to adjust.
There’s a whole long life ahead of you. Take your time to appreciate just starting out and worry about bigger things later. Take things one day at a time, and soon enough you’ll be out there on your own making a great living.
–Danielle Gittleman
Senior journalism major
Printed in the 04/22/15 issue.
