[media-credit name=” Harlan Frost” align=”alignleft” width=”433″][/media-credit]

Five thousand happy SF State students will be celebrating their graduation at the 114th commencement ceremony at AT&T Park this Friday.

The six-hour-long event is going to be an exercise in patience, at least for me. Don’t get me wrong, I could not be more excited to be done with my degree, but it’s what comes after that worries me. Like many graduates, I will be moving back in with my mom and dad after my lease ends.

Upon graduation, students are thrust into the adult world, many expected to fend for themselves financially and emotionally. I commend those people for their independence. Then there are people like myself, who, for either financial or personal reasons, move back home.

I’d be lying if I said I was moving home because I cannot afford to pay my rent or because I have no job prospects. I’m moving back home because I miss my friends, my girlfriend and my family.

To me, there’s a stigma against moving back in to your family home after spending so much time away. It connotes failure or laziness in my experience, like it was the only available option. As far as I know, crashing in your old twin bed a wall away from your parents doesn’t sound particularly glamorous.

After spending the past five months stressing over my post-graduation living arrangements, I can say to anyone who’s worried that it’s really not worth getting worked up over.

It took me a while, but I realized I’m not moving home because it’s my only option. I’m moving home because it’s the best option for me right now. It’s what will make me the most happy.

I’m a sentimental guy, and all of life’s successes don’t mean anything if I can’t celebrate them with the people I love. There’s no shame in returning back to your hometown because you have loved ones there. And there’s no shame in moving back in with your parents, as long as you’re not taking advantage of their good will.

As for my career path, I have a large, loving family and a close group of friends who I miss every day and can’t imagine living without. As much as I care about them, I would never give up my career just to stay close to them, and they wouldn’t want me to.

The best part is that I don’t have to do that. That’s not really how the world works, and it’s certainly not how the business world works. If I decide to continue living with my parents, it doesn’t mean I have to give up my career – I’ll just be working in a different city.

For all the people who are moving back in with mom and dad after graduation, don’t worry. If you’re moving home for the right reasons, you have nothing to worry about, except maybe some awkward encounters with your parents that may make you feel like you’re back in high school.