Essay: How Should Graduates Choose Where To Live?

At birth, people have no part in deciding where they live. They simply emerge into whichever city their parents are in, and that’s that. 

People are generally bound to their parents’ decisions until reaching age 18 and making the decision of which college to attend. 

Higher education offers a stationary home for four years or longer, but graduation prompts the anxiety-inducing decision of what city to choose for the indefinite future. 

Suddenly you’re thrown out of safe confines and forced to make a decision based entirely on what you want. The seemingly infinite options can further complicate the choice and overwhelm graduates. 

But graduating college signifies the start of living life for yourself. You’re no longer bound by parents or academic interests. It’s important for graduates to realize their independence and make the decision best for them. 

One option is to move home. No matter where that is, this likely requires a graduate to move back into their childhood bedroom, once again under the same roof as their parents and lacking the independence they’ve become accustomed to. 

In my case, this means San Diego, where it’s nearly impossible to find a reasonably priced apartment. Even worse, graduating a year early means none of my friends are out of school and able to split the rent. 

Having to move back into my childhood home darkens the dream of returning to warm weather, familiar streets and close proximity to those most important to me. 

I have strong relationships with my parents — we often double as friends — but I still don’t love the idea of living with them again. It’s not their fault — it’s simply because I’d feel like I’m regressing from all the strides I’ve made. 

Returning home is also motivated by my parents’ wish for me to be there. But this choice is complicated by my friends’ eagerness to convince me to stay in Chicago.  

I wish I wanted to stay in Chicago, as many graduates do. It’s a clear answer — after years residing there, they’ve built a life for themselves. 

But these factors may not be enough if the person doesn’t want to call that city home. Students don’t always fall in love with the city where they attended school, and being released from university life can make graduates realize their four years there were enough. 

I have little desire to endure Chicago’s winters again, and I miss the freedom of being behind the wheel — not to mention being able to see my friends and family without dedicating my entire day to traveling. 

I know I won’t be making the best decision for myself if I bend to friends’ pleas, and I’m committed to not letting them cloud my judgement. 

I’m also aware I could put off the real world and travel for a while. Or, I could find an entirely new city and design a new life, as many do. 

But I don’t want to. 

Not everyone wants to embark on a new journey right after college. Maybe university life was enough of an independent trek, and recent graduates don’t want to endure the loneliness that comes with struggling to find a new fit. Or maybe they don’t have the money to support it. 

I have no interest in navigating another new city and compiling all new friends. I believe this option is reserved for the forceful, daring few who have no trouble forming relationships with strangers. 

No matter the graduate’s personality, the choice of where to live is encumbered by anxiety. After being released from years and years of schooling, life’s new freedom is dampened by the uncertainty of where to go next. 

Whatever the decision, it’s important to detach your choice from the opinions of others. Worrying about judgment from others clouds graduates’ abilities to make the best choice for themselves.

The choice should be made in your best interest — and yours alone.