Cecilie Nag
C.W Post is known as a commuter school, with close to 80 percent of the student population consisting of commuters. So, where do they live, and why do they choose to live off campus?
Political science major, and first year graduate student Kieran Mercer is a resident of Huntington Village. He appreciates the opportunity to have a life away from campus, and defines the place as “a town with character.” Mercer finds the cost of student accommodation on campus too high, and he views the off-campus living as a source to a more balanced life, “I really enjoy it. There is a lot to do in the town, but I don´t enjoy the commute,” he says.
Nick Falcone is a Business Management major living in Massapequa Park. He stays at home with his family, after living in the campus residence halls last year. “I’d rather live at home because I like sleeping in my own bed, and eating my family’s cooking, instead of Winnick,” he says. The town is located 25 minutes away, but Falcone doesn´t mind the trip. He finds living on campus to have both positives and negatives. “If you like being with friends all the time, and like having the convenience of going to the gym, the library and cafeteria whenever you want, then living on campus is for you,” he says.
Business management major Nicole Urbs lives in Bethpage with her parents, around a half-hour drive from C.W Post. “My parents were worried I would not get up for class, or get in trouble,” she says. With friends living on campus, she still gets to experience how it is living in dorms. “Although, since the dorms are very populated, they don’t have the silence like I do at home when I need to do my homework and cannot afford to get distracted by others,” she says, “I also enjoy having my own bathroom and my own room.”
Freshman Business Administration major Renee Pedersen is an international student living with her sister and her boyfriend in Hicksville, a 20-minute drive from campus. They chose to live off-campus because of the freedom, and the opportunity to live together. “It´s cheaper, and we have our own kitchen,” she explains.
Jazlyn Beltre is a junior Journalism major living in Corona, Queens, a 20-60 minute drive to school, depending on traffic. “I like living at home because it´s comfortable. There´s no moving in or out, and I can come and go as I please with guaranteed parking in my driveway and home cooked food,” she says. But living at home has its distractions: “The only things that get annoying are my two little brothers at the ages of two and four. They cry a lot sometimes, and make a lot of noise, which can be distracting,” she says. Beltre lived on campus last year, but with the high costs, she spent so much time working to pay for it, that she had little time to enjoy it. “With the economy the way it is, students should learn how to sacrifice. Living at home may be annoying sometimes, but it will help your pockets in the long run,” she says.
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