This website has already discussed a number of strategies that students can use to save money and minimize the amount of student debt they borrow to earn their degrees. Sometimes, certain cost-reduction strategies can not only lower your expenses, but also have significant academic benefits as well. From my own experience, staying on campus during vacations may not only help students reduce their costs, but can also help students boost their grades and make social connections as well.
During the seven years I was working toward my undergraduate, Master’s, and law degrees, I only went home for Thanksgiving once. As a first-year in college, my family urged me to return home so that I could spend Thanksgiving with my brothers and father. Although I had a good time catching up with relatives and friends, I believed that staying on campus during vacations could be a better move for me financially and academically.
My college forced students to leave campus over the winter break, so I needed to spend money to travel home between each semester I was a university student. However, I stayed on campus every break when the dorms were open. This included Spring Break, Thanksgiving, mid-winter recess, and every other smaller break that we had during the academic year.
Staying on campus during vacations allowed me to save money as a student. By remaining on campus, I did not need to spend money to travel to and from school. If I took the bus between New York and Boston or New York and DC, this was not too much money. However, train tickets and airfare between the cities could cost a substantial sum of money, and I avoided this expense altogether by staying on campus.
Furthermore, by remaining on campus, I could use my meal plan and did not need to spend money on food. During vacations, there were limited food options on campus, since only a few dining venues were open. However, it was still free food, and eating on campus during breaks helped me look after my bottom line. I also preferred to live in my dorm room, since I had more privacy in the dorms than I did at home. If I crashed with my grandparents or brothers, I would usually have to share a room or sleep on a couch, so I preferred staying in my dorm room where I could keep to myself.
It is hard to estimate the amount of money I saved each year by staying on campus during vacations. However, I likely saved several hundred dollars each year on travel costs, food expenses, and other costs. It was tough not seeing my family as much, but I still saw everyone over the summer or during winter breaks.
Staying on campus during vacations can also help you academically. During college, I needed to take an insane number of credits during the academic year in order to complete my Master’s degree as a senior in college. It was difficult to manage all of my academic responsibilities, but I regularly caught up on my courses during vacations. By working through vacations, I was able to catch up on readings, and complete papers in order to stay on top of my rigorous course load.
During law school, one hundred percent of your grade is typically based on the final exam. In addition, classes are graded on a curve, so everyone is competing against the other for top grades. The Thanksgiving break is usually right before exams are set to begin, and studying straight through the Thanksgiving vacation can give you a huge boost in obtaining good law school grades.
During my first semester of law school, I stayed on campus for Thanksgiving, and one of my classmates who lived in town hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for everyone who didn’t go home for the holiday. I think that most of the people that stayed around campus (and attended that dinner) scored high on exams that first semester, and staying on campus during vacations is especially important in law school.
Furthermore, it can also be fun staying on campus during vacations. I had a few friends who also needed to stay around campus during vacations for financial reasons or because they were international students. We usually had a really fun time staying on campus together. Being part of a limited group of people on campus can connect individuals from different parts of your circle of friends, and you can do things on campus when everyone is away that you can’t do when people are around. Not to sound like too much of a nerd, but I remember one time, a bunch of people and I broke into a lecture hall and watched a few movies using the projector our professors usually used for power points. It was a fun time, and I have very fond memories of the days that I spent on campus during vacations while I was a student in college and law school.
In the end, staying on campus during vacations can impact your bottom line, since this can help you reduce costs and lower the amount of student debt you need to borrow. In addition, students can realize a number of academic benefits by staying on campus and studying while other students are away. Furthermore, staying on campus during vacations can help you bond with your classmates and participate in fun activities that you cannot do when classes are in session.