No parents. That's one thing I was looking forward to in college. I would be able to stay out as late as I wanted. I would be able to use my time as I pleased. I would have unlimited freedom. And unlike living at home, I would not have to fight with my parents about any of this. Or so I thought. Boy was I wrong.
Fighting with parents takes on a different dynamic in college. Now that my parents aren't hovering like helicopters all the time, the opportunities to pick fights are fewer.
Christie Harrison '16 said that she has gotten along great with her parents since arriving at school.
"I never fight with my parents," Harrison said. "They're wonderful, and I'm not just saying that because they read The Dartmouth regularly and pay my tuition."
Individual circumstances make a significant impact when it comes to the spark between Dartmouth students and their parents.
"My parents are very strict, partially because they're both immigrants," Nik Medrano '14 said. "I'm living at home this term, and I have to argue about what time I get home. They're always worried about safety in Boston."
Sometimes the move to college allows for greater perspective and respect for parental wisdom.
"There were times in high school when I was a little resentful of my mother because I didn't believe she could always be right," Abby Yazbak '14 said. "She is still a very supportive presence and she gives me lots of advice and guidance, but I make my own decisions now."
But obviously, myself and others continue to have some arguments with their parents in college. Whether over the phone, through texts, on Skype or during vacation many of the arguments I had with my parents in high school persist.
THINGS I STILL FIGHT WITH MY PARENTS ABOUTTransportation: In high school my parents and I constantly argued about my use of the car. Now I just wish I had some kind of transportation. But when I bring up the topic of bringing the car up to Dartmouth next year, I am met with defiance: "Your brother gets the car." Little siblings are always the parents' favorites, am I right?Classes: My parents continue to give me advice on what classes to take. When I cannot decide between classes, I often ask my parents for advice. However, my dad has decided that every time I ask him about classes, he will respond the same way. No dad, I will not take computer science, and the fact that you keep telling me to makes me want to take it even less.Vacations/Family Time: Whether about spring break or my off term, I continue to argue with my parents about how to spend my vacations. College is supposed to be a time for adventure, and my parents seem to think that spending time sitting around at home is fun.
THINGS I NO LONGER FIGHT WITH MY PARENTS ABOUTCleaning: I'm a slob when I live at home. My theory is that if I don't let anyone else see my room, then it doesn't matter how messy it is. Now I don't listen to my parents' nagging about cleaning. Instead I have to deal with the threat of my roommate seeing my mess.Eating: At home, matching up everyone's schedules and dietary needs always seemed to end with an argument. I'm sure my family loves their new freedom from my picky eating as much as I loved the choices at FoCo for the first two weeks of fall term. Siblings: Many of the fights I got into with my parents involved fights I had with my brother. But now that we don't live together, my brother and I don't fight nearly as much. I think he might even miss me a little.
Going to college releases a lot of the tension between students and parents. No longer having to stress about fighting with parents can be a major relief.
"I don't miss fighting with parents," Maya Wilcher '16 said. "I'm glad that I get along with them better. Maybe it's because I am getting older and more mature. Or maybe not."