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"commuted from home..." "Graduated without debt or mommy and daddys money." One of these things is not like the others. If you lived rent free at your parent's

by Fomite 7y ago

"commuted from home..." "Graduated without debt or mommy and daddys money." One of these things is not like the others. If you lived rent free at your parent's home, you did it with your parent's money. I know a number of people who, come 18, were on their own.

graeme 7y ago
What's your estimate for the percent of the university population for whom it would have been impossible to live at home and commute to a local college? I don't imagine it's more than 20% and I expect it is substantially less. If so, what is the point of your objection? The bast majority of people could do what OP did, but don't. That's interesting.
- rayiner 7y ago
  Social stigma is powerful. I took an extra $60-70k in debt to go to school in Chicago instead of DC, where I could have commuted from home. It’s our culture. College is supposed to be a 4-year vacation where binge drink and do a lot of drugs. Hard to do that when you’re living at home.
  - t3rabytes 7y ago
    Not questioning your decision making, but DC seems like a fine place to go to college. I would've gone to Georgetown or GW without any qualms, same way that I decided to go to NC State (even though I've lived just outside of Raleigh since middle school). Disclosure: I went to college 50 minutes away from where my parents lived and still lived on campus because I had to get out of living in the middle of nowhere and a 50 minute commute to class wasn't my thing.
    - tdfx 7y ago
      DC is a wildly expensive place to go to college. GW is consistently ranked amongst the most expensive colleges in the US. Even if you're on a full ride, you likely won't be able to pay your living expenses with a part-time job.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
- Tade0 7y ago
  I don't imagine it's more than 20% and I expect it is substantially less. Why do you think so many colleges have so much housing infrastructure? Most people study grew up in places without any decent universities within commuting distance.
  - graeme 7y ago
    Because culturally, Americans have a tradition of going away to college. It's not just the elite universities that have housing infrastructure.
    - Tade0 7y ago
      Ok, but there's also as much infrastructure in Europe. I remember that I was one of the few students in my year who grew up in the city in which my alma mater was based.
      - graeme 7y ago
        Was your school terrible? If not, surely the students in that city could have gone there if they wanted to save money, no? Which was my point. I couldn’t find stats, but my impressions is dorms are way more common in america.
        Tade0 7y ago
        If not, surely the students in that city could have gone there if they wanted to save money, no? Top university in my country, so not everyone could to begin with. For the same reason each region - aside from those who had good schools themselves - was represented roughly proportionally to its population.
throwayEngineer 7y ago
To clarify, I had a 600 dollar/mo apartment I paid for near my job. This was 1 hour away from school. I drove my Aunt's beater car she gave me for 15 years of nearly unpaid yardwork. I did accept a 9 year old desktop computer from my dad. I did have a girlfriend that was supportive, let me nap in her dorm. I'm sure if you try hard enough, you can find 1 friend or family member that gives me privilege. I don't have anything further to contribute, but I wanted to frame the entire situation. Maybe it's these obscure privileges that made it possible.
- bananocurrency 7y ago
  Your aunt gave you a car and your dad gave you a computer? I can't believe you were able to graduate with the odds stacked against you like that.
swoongoonz 7y ago
this. I wanted to go to community college but that was not an option in my house. I was 17 when I took out massive loans. I feel stupid but I really don't know what else I should have done.

by Fomite 7y ago

graeme 7y ago

What's your estimate for the percent of the university population for whom it would have been impossible to live at home and commute to a local college? I don't imagine it's more than 20% and I expect it is substantially less. If so, what is the point of your objection? The bast majority of people could do what OP did, but don't. That's interesting.

rayiner 7y ago
Social stigma is powerful. I took an extra $60-70k in debt to go to school in Chicago instead of DC, where I could have commuted from home. It’s our culture. College is supposed to be a 4-year vacation where binge drink and do a lot of drugs. Hard to do that when you’re living at home.
- t3rabytes 7y ago
  Not questioning your decision making, but DC seems like a fine place to go to college. I would've gone to Georgetown or GW without any qualms, same way that I decided to go to NC State (even though I've lived just outside of Raleigh since middle school). Disclosure: I went to college 50 minutes away from where my parents lived and still lived on campus because I had to get out of living in the middle of nowhere and a 50 minute commute to class wasn't my thing.
  - tdfx 7y ago
    DC is a wildly expensive place to go to college. GW is consistently ranked amongst the most expensive colleges in the US. Even if you're on a full ride, you likely won't be able to pay your living expenses with a part-time job.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
Tade0 7y ago
I don't imagine it's more than 20% and I expect it is substantially less. Why do you think so many colleges have so much housing infrastructure? Most people study grew up in places without any decent universities within commuting distance.
- graeme 7y ago
  Because culturally, Americans have a tradition of going away to college. It's not just the elite universities that have housing infrastructure.
  - Tade0 7y ago
    Ok, but there's also as much infrastructure in Europe. I remember that I was one of the few students in my year who grew up in the city in which my alma mater was based.
    - graeme 7y ago
      Was your school terrible? If not, surely the students in that city could have gone there if they wanted to save money, no? Which was my point. I couldn’t find stats, but my impressions is dorms are way more common in america.
      - Tade0 7y ago
        If not, surely the students in that city could have gone there if they wanted to save money, no? Top university in my country, so not everyone could to begin with. For the same reason each region - aside from those who had good schools themselves - was represented roughly proportionally to its population.

throwayEngineer 7y ago

To clarify, I had a 600 dollar/mo apartment I paid for near my job. This was 1 hour away from school. I drove my Aunt's beater car she gave me for 15 years of nearly unpaid yardwork. I did accept a 9 year old desktop computer from my dad. I did have a girlfriend that was supportive, let me nap in her dorm. I'm sure if you try hard enough, you can find 1 friend or family member that gives me privilege. I don't have anything further to contribute, but I wanted to frame the entire situation. Maybe it's these obscure privileges that made it possible.

bananocurrency 7y ago
Your aunt gave you a car and your dad gave you a computer? I can't believe you were able to graduate with the odds stacked against you like that.

swoongoonz 7y ago

this. I wanted to go to community college but that was not an option in my house. I was 17 when I took out massive loans. I feel stupid but I really don't know what else I should have done.