Opinion – You Can Do It: Living With Your Parents for the Summer

By: Gabby Haynes

Deciding whether to continue living on campus or move back home for the summer can be challenging. Each option has its pros and cons, which many students have experienced firsthand after moving back home for the summer following freshman year.

One of the biggest advantages of living at home is enjoying home-cooked meals. While the food from the dining halls and local restaurants can be enjoyable, certain homemade dishes enjoyed at the dinner table alongside the family are irreplaceable. In addition to the homemade meals, the pantry at home is always magically stocked. How do moms do that so well? When living at home, there is no need to settle for ramen or microwaved meals when the pantry or fridge has all your favorite snacks.

On the contrary, giving up some independence can be challenging. The convenience of being able to stop by a fast-food place after work to grab a quick dinner will be replaced by parents insisting, “We have food at home.” When the family decides to eat out, agreeing on where to eat becomes a lengthy process because everyone wants something different. While it can be difficult to maintain a well-stocked pantry in a dorm, the convenience of grabbing a quick snack from a campus market will be missed

Another significant advantage of living at home during the summer is the financial reprieve. After a long semester of frequent debit card use, anything free is appealing. Living on campus during the summer can be costly, with the average rent in Tuscaloosa being around $1,200 per month. Staying with parents can alleviate some of this financial burden, allowing students to focus on tuition without the added stress of rent.

Despite the financial benefits, living at home can lead to losing privacy. Returning home often means answering questions about whereabouts, who’s all coming along and return times. Parents may always see their college-aged children as their babies, resulting in limited alone time. While sharing a communal bathroom in a dorm is no longer necessary, the childhood bathroom might become the only place to escape spontaneous lectures and life advice.

Another challenge is the homesick feeling that returns when moving out again. It can be difficult to leave a place of comfort after 18 years and then face the real world once more. The expression “there’s no place like home” resonates deeply in these moments.

Each living situation comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Finding peace in the chosen environment and maintaining a grateful heart can help ease the transition and create a sense of contentment.