List compiled by La Gente staff writer, Alondra Castanon. 

I remember anxiously counting down the days until I moved out of my house and into my college dorm. I was convinced my life would drastically change once I was independently living on my own. Truth be told, even though I have the freedom to do whatever I want now, I sometimes miss having rules, having someone ask me where I’m going and what time I’ll get home, and especially having a delicious home cooked Mexican dinner every night.

Although there are many aspects of living on your own, I will specifically be discussing the pros and cons of dorming. Let’s start on a positive note:

  • Not having to ask for permission to do whatever I want. It’s not that I’m hanging out with people my parents wouldn’t approve of, or doing things out of the ordinary, but sometimes it’s nice to have the freedom to go out 3 nights in a row.

  • Being able to buy my own groceries. This one is a bit unexpected, and although having to pay for my own groceries is annoying, being able to pick out what I want to eat is not. I get to choose between crunchy or creamy peanut butter, strawberry or jelly jam, white or wheat bread. Back at home, you can’t just demand your parents to get you certain items from the grocery store, you just eat what they bring (from my experience, anyway.)

  • Being able to arrange your own schedule. It is such a relief deciding when you are going to go to class, do laundry, go out, study, work, and not having to take someone else’s schedule into consideration.

    Abeeha Ashary, a fourth year anthropology major states that she enjoys being able to “arrange [her] schedule around just one person rather than an entire family.” I agree, Abeeha!

As much freedom as living away from home gives us, here are three cons you might agree with:

  • Not having home cooked meals every day, or for even months at a time. I used to eat Mexican food every day and I remember feeling thankful that I would finally be able to choose from UCLA’s wide variety of food. But truth is, sometimes I just crave my mom’s enchiladas, her sopes, and her pozole. No offense to everyone that loves Rendezvous, but it just doesn’t taste like authentic Mexican food to me.

  • The lack of privacy in your room. I don’t get to blast my music and sing at the top of my lungs anymore, I don’t get to lounge around in my towel for several hours after I shower anymore, I don’t get to organize and tidy up my room exactly how I want to anymore. Being an introvert who needs alone time to recharge, dorming just adds to my stress levels sometimes.

  • Living with people whose living preferences differ from yours. Living with others means that everyone goes to bed at different times, has different neatness standards, etc. Ashary states that “living with roommates whose living preferences don’t align with [hers]” is the biggest con of living on your own and away from home.

Living on your own means that you have the freedom to go wherever, whenever. And I have no complaints there; it’s nice being able to be your own boss and not have to answer to anyone. However, living on your own also means you don’t get to be spoiled by mamá and get to live in the comfort and privacy of your own home. All in all, dorming has its pros and cons and but it’s not an experience that lasts forever. Hang in there!