Sophomore Natalie Hoy sits in one of DH Hill’s study rooms working on a personal project with two friends. Working on a video in a study room wasn’t the group’s first choice, but they had limited options as all three of them commute to campus. Hoy, who lived in one of the on campus dorms last year, felt that moving home was the right choice for a number of reasons, but that the decision may not be the same for everyone.
“It really depends on what your schedule is. Mondays and Wednesdays for me are horrible because I have an 8:05 a.m. so I have to leave the house by 6:50 a.m.,” Hoy said “Then I have classes until 5:45 p.m. and it’s a 20-30 minute drive home.”
Thursdays are also problematic, according to Hoy, as she has Korean Conversation Club at 6:30 pm, but finishes class at 1:00 p.m. She said the large gaps between classes or clubs can be a drawback for students that commute, as there is not much to do in the time in-between them.
“It’s kind of good [having gaps] because I get to do a lot of my work, but sometimes I just want to take a nap but I can’t just take a nap in the library because I get worried if someone is going to steal my stuff,” Hoy said.
Hoy said that another drawback is that she must carry all of her stuff with her since she parks on West deck and all of her classes are around Harrelson, making it too much walking to go back and forth. She also said that living off campus can make it harder to socialize.
“When I drive, I just want to go home and I don’t want to deal with traffic, so I try to avoid those times, which is constricting in a way. Also, when you live off campus, you can’t meet people in the suite or on the floor; you have limited options of who you can befriend,” Hoy said.
There are benefits to living off campus as well. Hoy said her main deciding factors for moving back home were the cost of staying in the dorms and being able to spend more time with her mother.
“It’s a lot cheaper, like a ton cheaper [to stay at home],” Hoy said. “Also, since I’m really close with my mom, I get to stay with her more often and see her more.”
According to Hoy, food is a benefit as well. She found it hard to eat healthy while at NC State since she found Fountain’s food unappealing and even Jason’s Deli, which she regarded as Talley’s healthiest option, was not what she would consider truly healthy either.
Hoy finds that living at home keeps her better connected to her culture, as she speaks mostly Colombian Spanish at home and can practice her language more and keep it up better than if she were still living on campus. She also appreciates not having a roommate and the freedom that gives her.
“Even though [my previous roommate] was really good, because I’m introverted I like to have my own space. I can go to sleep at any time and not feel bad, like I’m inconveniencing anyone, and there’s no such thing as quiet hours,” Hoy said.
Hoy also feels that living with her family again is both good and bad because she can cook for her mom when she gets home early if she has the energy, but when she gets home late, it is difficult to spend time with her mother because she has so much work to do. Hoy also recognizes that moving back home can depend on the personality type of the student.
“It’s really more introvert versus extrovert. Since I’m more introverted, I sometimes need alone time, which can be hard to get when you share a room,” Hoy said.
Hoy says that the decision to move back home is more than just a financial decision, it depends on how close a student’s house is to the campus, how well they get on with their family and how much they enjoy going out and socializing.
“For me it wasn’t a sacrifice [to move back home]. It’s really situational though, like if you are a person who loves to go out and drink and you’re extroverted, commuting or staying at home is not the best idea,” Hoy said.
