Comments on: Twentysomething: Be responsible, go back home after college

By: actionathena.com » Archive » Plot Twist

actionathena.com » Archive » Plot Twist — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:29:55 +0000

[...] super picky about jobs, this USA Today article is called "Why Grown Kids Come Home," this article says that 60% of grads move back home after graduation, while this article suggests it's as [...]

By: Eric M

Eric M — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:46:32 +0000

I agree completely with this article. It makes no sense to live on your own and slave away just to make enough money to survive till the next month's bills.

In my case, I live with my aunt and uncle. My parents who got me into a lot of financial trouble from their advice have proved no help. They said the same things that a lot of these idiots on this post say about "learning to live on your own" and "sucking it up."

Ironically enough, I learned from my aunt and uncle that my parents got a lot of help from their moms and dads when they were starting out. Many times, they received money for help in purchasing their home or were more than happy to accept the generous gifts that they provided.

I think that it just bitterness ans spitefulness from these people who posted negatively on this board. I think the term misery loves company is best to describe these "tough love" people who have posted on here. I suffered and was miserable making it through life, so why shouldn't you be the same as me god-d**n it!!! Well, I imagine your kids will feel much better when they ship your stingy tail off to the nursing home.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:12:00 +0000

Reading this article, and the comments, I felt I would share my opinions and story. I am currently a 19 year old college sophomore. I live in an apartment of campus with my boyfriend. Being financially independent as a college student is very stressful. With both my boyfriend and myself, going to school full time and only having, minimum wage, part-time jobs, we were lucky to get the opportunity to get a PLUS loan to help cover off campus housing for the school year. Recently, my boyfriend’s parents proposed we move in to their finished basement. They offered to only charge us for our portion of groceries and cable. Along with offering a helping hand around the house. They are hoping that by our moving in with them, it will help us save money on all the rent and expenses we have now. Though the loan covers all those expenses, we are still going to be responsible to pay it all back along with the rising interest. Moving in with my future in laws does seem to have both its pros and cons of course. My biggest fear is that we will lose all privacy. I love having the feeling of coming home to my own place, cooking my own food, and coming and going as I please. I do not like having to rely on others to support me, that is what is making this decision even harder. After making lists of everything from what I like about moving in to everything I fear, I have decided to also get a professional opinion. I am going to meet with a financial advisor to lay down my options for either continuing to live on my own, or moving in with the in laws and begin to pay off my loans. I have decided to hold off on any decisions till July 1st (when my lease is up). I hope by then I will have received as much information and advice as possible. Even considering moving in with them is extremely hard for me, because I have always been so independent. But if it could possibly make it easier to move out right after graduation, I may be able to suck it up and do so. I have a lot to think about over the next few months but hopefully, I will make the right choice. I hope this article can help some of you see that not all of us “children of this generation” are looking for a free ride or being selfish. I know how hard it is to find jobs in this economy therefore, making it hard to live on our own. I have been lucky enough to have it covered by school but I very anxious to get it paid off as quickly as I can. Even if I cannot pay it off before graduation, I will begin my “adult life” on my own and out of my in laws basement. If this article is still around then, I will be sure to leave an updated story of my life just to prove that I do want to do what is best for me in order to start life off from the moment I get my diploma. Thank you for reading.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:00:41 +0000

We no longer live in post-WWII America, where everyone could afford their own house and a college degree without debt. We now have the same wealth inequality as Mexico, more than half of college students take longer than 4 years because they have to work, the average debt after college is $20,000, and the jobs are scarcer and pay much less (usually without benefits). I resent the accusations that my generation is just weaker and spoiled and unable to cope with the real world, or that we are leaches that just want to suck our hardworking parents dry. Living in family units is often smarter economically for everyone involved, and it is a small minority of the privileged or mentally ill that do their parents wrong by living with them. If you aren't wealthy in America, it is harder now every way you look at it than it was 20 years ago, and we are adapting.

By: Crystal

Crystal — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:54:18 +0000

This sounds great and all but you must consider what degree you are graduating with. For instance, I am a sociology major and I am planning on working in the research field. "Back home with mommy" there are no job opportunities. So it's either move home and work for $20,000 a year or move to a city and work for $60,000+. Hmm… even considering housing costs, which by the way I am affording on my own while I am at college, and my 8 credit card bills, which I am also affording on my own, and my car payment, which I am affording on my own, I'd be better off staying here and keeping my college job then moving back home to mom. It isn't responsible to move back home in my case. It would be weakness. To write such a general article as though all college students are still kids who need to find there way and grow up is poor journalism.

By: Brian

Brian — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:28:58 +0000

I am a College student and have lived in all three different situations. I will graduate with spending 5 years in Undergraduate study(Transferring and changing your major three times will do this to you):

I have lived in……

A.) Dorm(2 years)
B.) Apartment(1 year)
C.) Home(2 years)

I'd say if you have the opportunity to move out then DO so. College is a place in which you are suppose to become independent and most people can't do this while living at home exactly like it was in high school. Most; but not all.

The worst assumption is that just because people move out of the house they are automatically an adult. I tell you this as a student with a Freshman Year GPA(As PreMed) over 3.9. About 5% of the other people living in the dorms were even close to becoming adults. A good 70-80% just wanted to leech off of their parents money, party, have sex as much as possible, drink a lot of alcohol, and never go to class. Sure; you could call me a little opinionated but pretty much being a full-grown adult since the age of sixteen can make you extremely pesstimistic about your surroundings.

It would be nice if people would move out of the house and want to grow up at the age of eighteen(Like I did). But most people don't want this in the Colleges that I have attended. College dorm rooms are more of a giant babysitting facility than any intellectual society to say the least.

A lot of people I knew didn't move out because they wanted to become independent; they wanted to move out so that they could avoid responsibility by living at home. But(From reading the other comments posted) how could this possibly be true?

Some of the older generation simply do not understand:

A. College is no longer what it used to be. Go on a Google search and you will see articles about how College Freshman drink more than they study. Real mature; right?

B. As a student living in a dorm room and/or an apartment there is no need to attend the lectures or class. And since many of these students aren't paying for College(Mom and dad stiff $30,000-$40,000 per year) the students don't care.

C. Just because someone moves out of the house at age 18 doesn't mean they grow up. The only way they grow up is if they either get a job while attending College and/or take their education seriously. Which just happen with most students.

D. The American education system is flawed. If you can get A's in the more difficult classes at "Top Universities" by cramming the night before then you can understand that the system has been dumbed down.

By: Surviving Home « Reel Life Knowledge for After College

Surviving Home « Reel Life Knowledge for After College — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:01:07 +0000

[...] independent and they will treat you as that way, or at least, more so than they may otherwise. 7. Be happy you don't need to pay rent so it is okay to get paid less starting out at the job you really want. 8. Take this time to figure [...]

By: twenty(or)something » Blog Archive » Make A New Plan, Stan

twenty(or)something » Blog Archive » Make A New Plan, Stan — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:21:37 +0000

[...] I don't want to be a part of the statistic. And yet, it's the only thing that makes responsible sense right [...]

By: Marian Schembari

Marian Schembari — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:27:11 +0000

I agree with most of this, as I moved back in with my parents after graduation. But honestly? It made me want to kill someone (myself or my parents, it changed every day). I wish I could have stuck it out for longer as I was saving a ton on rent money, but it was incredibly hard to go from living on my own for 4 years to being under my parent's roof again. While lovely, understanding people who always encouraged me to be independent, it was depressing to be back home with them.
As soon as I got a job, I moved out.
Living at home did allow me the luxury of finding the "perfect" job without stress or pressure. That being said, I live right next to the city I wanted to work in. Applying for jobs long distance is a pain.
I also want to point out how much I disagree with the writer's statement about the "real world" which includes marriage and kids and suburbs. While I'm sure it wasn't intended this way, the "real world", in fact, varies. And to be perfectly frank, 22-year-old kids probably shouldn't be forced into that kind of life until the've gotten the 22-year-old out of them :-)

By: Whym Yname

Whym Yname — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 20:33:06 +0000

You're just not open-minded.

Back in the day, people had to hunt for their food and only then cook and eat it. Those were your prior generations. Do you still do that?

With each and upcoming generation, we try and change a few things to make our lives easier. That is exactly what the author was getting at…you hypocrite. Go and read more and learn more about general patterns in life, maybe then you'll understand.