<p>I got a full ride at University of Maryland - College Park. The scholarship covers tuition, room and board, meals, and books. </p>
<p>I was also considering living off campus and commuting. I’ve heard that this cuts into your social life a good bit. I was considering getting the room and board, and spending some time on campus and off. Would splitting the difference help to alleviate some of the social issues of commuting?</p>
<p>Does anyone think the Uni would care either way? </p>
<p>My desire to be off campus is to be a live-in volunteer firefighter, but that’s a separate issue.</p>
<p>I think living in the dorms will really give you a great experience. I don’t think the college experience has to be sacrificed for commuters, but I think it’s easier to fit in with the flow if you already have a community. A full scholarship makes this even more appealing.</p>
<p>But in the end the decision is yours. What’s more important to you? You /can/ be a part of UMD as a commuter by joining clubs and staying involved on campus. I wouldn’t choose to commute, but then, I don’t have a passion for something like you do, I guess. My dad commuted to UMD because he didn’t have the money, and he said he definitely wouldn’t recommend it. He said it was a hassle, and it was tough to fit in for him that way. But I think it can be done, if you really care about something. Being a firefighter obviously carries a whole other set of rewards totally separate from the college experience.</p>
<p>So good luck! Hope you make the decision that’s best for you.</p>
<p>P.S. Living there part time is an interesting idea…you can still meet friends in the dorm, but do what you want to do. Sounds like a cool compromise. But I don’t have any experience with this myself, so…</p>
<p>im a student at maryland and i can pretty much assure you its a lot more fun living on campus. i know someone who faced the same deal you did and decided to commute, but his social life is pretty much shot. its hard to have fun when you’re only on campus for classes and you have to leave before rush hour (which is a nightmare around DC).</p>
<p>the social life here is great, as far i as i have experienced and i can tell you that it is worth the money you will (or won’t) be spending.</p>
<p>If you’re not paying for it, go for it. If worst comes to worst and you hate living on campus, you can always move back home, and you’ll still have a place to crash at for those nights when you don’t want to drive back home.</p>
<p>i would live on campus if i were you! it’s free and it will really add to your college experience. you could considering living off campus after freshmen year, but i think it’s really important to live freshmen year on campus because it’s a lot easier to make friends.</p>