Graduates should work on leaving the nest, not flying right back into it
By Bridget Shackelford
May 30, 2007 9:07 p.m.
College graduation: After 17 long years of schooling, it’s finally time to take a break.
But lately it seems as if moving back in with the ‘rents post-graduation is as common as partying on graduation night.
With this newfound freedom, why are some college grads happy to move back into their childhood bedrooms and hang out with mom and dad?
Whether you decide to move back home is up to you, but make sure that you carefully weigh your options first.
While moving back home is definitely a good decision for many people, I personally have no plans to head back up to Santa Cruz and kick it with my parents.
Sure, it would save money and life would be more carefree, but I can’t imagine giving up that much personal freedom.
Remember that you are making a sacrifice when you’re living under somebody else’s roof. You can’t exactly have people over until the wee hours of the morning or let a friend crash on your couch. Even coming home late at night can be an ordeal.
Let’s be honest here, who really wants to say “I live with my parents” when someone asks if they can party at your apartment?
Still, the advantages of moving back home can be tempting.
According to a 2005 article in USA Today, the number of “boomerang kids” (college grads who head back home) has increased significantly in recent years.
According to the United States Student Association, an advocacy group in Washington, D.C., the typical undergraduate student accumulates nearly $19,000 in college loan debt, double that of the typical graduate in 1997.
Jacob Miskabi, a fourth-year history student at UCLA who currently lives with his parents, said he plans to stay at home after graduation.
Miskabi said there are many perks to moving back in with the folks.
“After not seeing you every day for four years on a daily basis, they’re going to do everything in their power to appease you,” he said.
The cold, hard facts speak for themselves. When college students are ready to enter the job market, they often face entry-level positions with mediocre pay.
According to the UCLA Community Housing Web site, the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in West Los Angeles is $1,315.00.
So, say you have a job that earns $12 per hour and you work 40 hours per week. Your monthly income is $1,920, and after you pay your rent of $1,315 you are left with $605.
That’s hardly enough money to pay for food, bills, utilities and gas and to cover any personal expenses you may have.
Forget about putting anything into your savings account ““ your rent is sucking up almost every penny you have, and unlike a mortgage, you get absolutely nothing back in the end.
“Most people don’t even make that much when they get out anyway, so it’s hard to pay rent,” said Vincent Lee, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student.
Lee said that moving home is a good move for many people. “(It’s) so economically feasible,” he said.
Regina Libefort, a fourth-year psychology student, has also been living at home throughout her college years.
A Los Angeles native, she said she has no plans to leave Southern California, and would like to attend law school in the area in a year. She plans to stay at home throughout law school.
Some recent graduates choose to travel abroad and live in a different country after finally completing college.
Julian Walter, a fourth-year aerospace engineering student, plans to head to Europe post-graduation and would like to work there for a while as well. Still, he hasn’t completely ruled out the option of moving back home.
“Yeah I would, probably (for) no more than … a month or two,” he said.
Still, despite the economic advantages, some UCLA students refuse to consider the option of going home.
“I just can’t imagine myself being older and living with (my parents),” said Kevin Sumethasorn, a third-year psychology student.
“I would be uncomfortable living with them again,” he said. “A lot of people like to, and I’m not one of them.”
Whatever it is that you want to do, you can do it. You don’t need to go back to your parents to make it. Don’t let the depressing statistics bring you down. We’re young and the world is our landscape.
My advice: Go big.
Do you want to rent “Reality Bites” and mope about the future? Send your post-graduation plans to Shackelford at [email protected]. Send general comments to [email protected].
