In theory, college is a time to spread your metaphorical wings and leave the nest to find another home. This can prove to be a bit complicated when you make the bold decision to spend your first year living at home. Admittedly, there are some perks to living at home with your parents for the first year, but every one of those is quickly drowned out by the sound of your parents constantly asking you the top three favorite parental questions.

Question number one is “Do you have any homework tonight?”. Regardless of the copious amount of studying you may actually find yourself having to do that evening, that’s not a question you really want to answer. If you say yes, then you will find yourself being nagged about every pencil stroke you will make for the rest of the day. If you say no, they will most likely realize you are lying because they have been there themselves. Usually, this lie is followed by a retort of “really?” to which most students would fall prey to. At this point, you would refer to the result of answer number one. While parents can be a great motivational tool, they can also be a reminder that even though you thought you left high school, it will still follow you everywhere you go.

Question number two is “What time do you think you’ll be home tonight?”. This question can be one of the most unbearable simply because it is a reminder that you can be as much of a free spirit as you want, as long as you’re in bed by a “reasonable hour.” Growing up, we have been trapped by curfews and while a simple question of what time you will be returning is not an actual curfew, there is always an implication that you should probably be home early. You probably should not go out and have fun with friends. You probably should not live as freely as you wish. This question is an obvious indication that your parents care, but when does caring become overbearing?

Question number three is “What do you think you’re doing?”. This one is obviously a bit more vague than the other two, but it is usually a response to any inappropriate behavior that would be just fine had you chosen to live in a dorm or with friends. Question number three is the biggest gut punch for people who live at home with their parents during college because it is the biggest rhetorical question of them all. Your parents obviously already know the answer and are just patiently waiting for you to tell them exactly what crime you have just committed. Question number three is the human equivalent of a dog being squirted with water for sitting on the couch. It is the question that brings back memories of every bad thing you have ever done with six simple words. It is the question that will drive both you and your parents crazy if you wait too long to respond.

At this point, it should probably be pointed out that there are perks to living at home for the first year of college. You still don’t usually have to do your own laundry, make your own food, or make any bigger decisions than whether or not you have an opinion on what to watch on television that night. In the long run, it is much more cost effective and often less stressful than being completely responsible for yourself. You’re thrust into college so quickly and living at home can provide a much needed safety net for the harsh transition.

Spreading your wings and flying off to college is a great option and will save you a lot of annoying questioning, but it is also okay to hang around the nest for a little while longer, at least until you get the hang of flying.