This is my first semester living in the Horn and Markham apartments, and so far I am in love.

I have my own room, a kitchen, a living room, and I only have to share my bathroom with one other person.

I’ve been thinking this is going to be my favorite year here at Baker, as it should be, considering it is my senior year.

But recently I’ve hit a bit of a speed bump.

I received an e-mail last week informing me that to stay in my apartment during breaks, I must pay $20 each night.

That is a lot to a struggling college student. I work 30 hours every week while going to school full time so that I can pay for my education.

At this point in my life, 21 years old, I am completely on my own. And I realize that not every student at Baker is in this situation, but I am definitely not alone.

My apartment is not just a place I stay at while at Baker. It is my home.

I no longer have a room at my parent's house. <br/>I visit there occasionally to spend time with my family, but it is a rarity. The lack of bed and personal space is not the only reason for this.I visit there occasionally to spend time with my family, but it is a rarity. The lack of bed and personal space is not the only reason for this.
I visit there occasionally to spend time with my family, but it is a rarity. The lack of bed and personal space is not the only reason for this.

Not only is my home here in Baldwin City, so is my job. I can’t take off weeks at a time if I plan on being able to feed myself.

So you see my predicament.

Here I am thinking I finally have a place of my own that I can stay at all year round, but apparently I was wrong. I am already paying a ridiculous amount of money for a four bedroom apartment. And now I have to pay more than $100 a week to stay during a break?

However, the financial aspect is not the only problem I have with this situation. Baker has a lovely little rule requiring students to live on campus until the age of 23.

So not only are they forcing me, as a grown woman, to live on campus, but also they are forcing me to leave the place where I live during breaks or pay even more money to stay.

This doesn’t make sense to me. It seems to me that the people in the student development office are refusing to let us grow up.

This worries me, considering I’m about to be dropped on my ass in less than nine months.

I have been coddled for the past three years, and now that I am approaching graduation, I fear that I will have no real grasp on what I am getting myself into.

I probably have a better idea than some students, considering I do have car payments, cell phone bills, etc.

But what about those students who are still completely dependent on their parents and Baker University to take care of them? How are these rules and regulations helping them grow as human beings? Even though some of the staff treat us like children, we are unfortunately adults. And I for one would like to be able to live like one.