I go to a college in the city and my family lives in the suburbs about 15 minutes away. I currently live on campus, but am considering moving home. Here's my situation:

Ok so every semester, I have $5000 in loans and $2800 that I have to pay out of pocket to my school. I have a job on campus but even if I work 20 hours/wk (the max we can work) for every single week of the semester, it's still not enough to cover the $2800.

Another thing is that I don't have any friends on campus. I really have tried to make friends but it just hasn't worked out. I'm miserable every day and cry all the time in my room alone because I just want to go home. I'm really close with my family and we always explore the city, go out to eat, have fun together and I dread coming back to campus after hanging out with them for the weekend. I don't feel lonely at all at home. So basically, i'm working my tail off to live somewhere I'm not enjoying.

I weighed the pros and cons of living at home and here's what I found:

Pros:

- Save a ton of money (like $5000/yr)

- I'd be with people I care about & ppl who care about me

- I could separate work & play and could leave school when i feel like it, instead of my school problems staying with me at all times while living on campus

Cons:

- The commute could be tough. There are about 4 months of pretty rough winter weather and parking on campus is kinda difficult.

- I'd have to find a new job by my house. Not too much of a problem since there's a mall nearby and restaurants.

- I'm concerned with how it could affect my grades. I'm not worried about studying at home but idk if living at home would make me feel less motivated about getting my degree.

I asked my parents about it and they seemed hesitant bc they don't want me to get too used to staying home and are afraid once I graduate, I'd be so used to living at home and wouldn't be able to move on. Part of me wants to try and stay another semester to try and make friends but the other part of me just wants to go where I know I'll be happy. If you have any advice, I'd rly appreciate it!