Not everyone has or have had the opportunity to live in dorms away free from their parents. I have experienced both living in a dorm during college and living at home and the difference is astounding!!! So I will share with you some of the differences.
1. You have to DRIVE to school.
In high school that seemed so fun and adult like to be able to drive yourself to school and everyone see you rolling up in your car. However attending a community college or going to university and having to drive to school is soooooo not fun. You have to worry about traffic every morning as opposed to rolling out of your bed in a dorm and walking to class in 3 mins tops. You also have to worry about wasting money on gas or the bus. It's just too much.
2. You CAN'T pull all-nighters in the library.
The library at most community colleges are not open 24/7 like most colleges and universities. It studying in a quiet environment a lot harder. You can't take naps in between your work. At my community college, you can't even bring food past a certain level in the library.
3. There is NOWHERE to chill in between classes.
Most people don't like having their classes back to back and some just couldn't get theirs scheduled that way. So if they have hours of time between classes you have figure out where to go especially if you don't drive. Like you can't just go lay down in dorm for an hour or 2 while you catch up on some sleep. Even athletes struggle with finding somewhere to stay.
4. You are still under your parent(s) roof.
Man I really really really hate restrictions and being asked a million questions when I leave out. However because I still live wit my mom I have no choice but to respect her rules. Like maybe it's just me but when I lived in a dorm with just one roommate, it was like living on your own. It was like having your own place just with a roommate. Cleaning was necessary but you were never nagged to do it. It was okay to be loud as long as it we weren't studying. There was NO curfew. Basically, you could do as you please (legally)
5. FREE FOOD....kind of.
Well everyone knows you have to pay for a meal plan, but that goes along with your tuition. So in my freshman year it was a requirement that all freshman had 19 meals a week. That is 3 meals a day during the week and 2 a day on the weekend. It was so much that I rarely got below 9 or 10 meals and they reload every week. Basically if you didn't have anything in your fridge the cafe was your best bet. Hey you get free food at home too though you just have to cook it. It's still a win-win.
6. Group or partner projects are a lot easier to do.
I already hate doing group projects but doing them in community college is a lot harder than it is at a university. How? Okay so in community college there is people of all ages that have kids and have to work or go home so doing a project together is very difficult because you barely see them. However in university, you can easily meet up with your partner or group in the library at night or in a lounge. It takes way less time and you don't have to work around everyone's schedule.
Well those are just a few aspects of community college that makes a big difference to me and hopefully some can relate. Thanks for Reading !!!!