I'm not sure I follow?

No one will date you if they find out. Pretend you live in the lab.

It wasn't a deal breaker for me when I was living in my dad's basement and I wasn't a grad student, just a personal trainer. But I did have rock-hard abs so that might have helped mitigate the shame factor.

Besides, the right answer is, the right girl wouldn't care if you lived walk-in closet as long as she's with you.

But it can be a deal breaker if you're going after bar floozies, they don't like stairs, especially to a bathroom.

No deal breaker at all, in my book... screams potential, in fact... and perhaps a lot of interesting books to borrow, and good late-night diner talks... plus, I imagine there are a lot of fellow, cute gal grad students who will let you borrow their books (and like the sound of boilers going on and off)...

Honestly, depends on Dad and Dad's rules, Dad's general level of presence and influence in said basement.

It all depends.

It's not automatic loserdom.

If the basement has mold and/or fungus, forget it. Otherwise, heck no, it's not a deal breaker!

I've lived on my own when I was in undergrad (2 years in dorms, 2 years in an apartment) and a couple of years (in a really cool part of town and it rocked and it was all good) when I was working. Moved back into dad's place when I started the MSc.

Not really regretting doing the PhD thing but it's getting ridiculous, being shit poor in a city with a really high cost of living. Parents bought the place because it was close to the University (for my sister's sake, though) and any place even close to being as convenient is far beyond my means.

basement has separate entrance, dad's really hands off, sister also living there but on the top floor - dad has the main floor, crazy insane fucked up mom's 'separated' and not in the country

I've never acquired debt but - in addition to the being shot down after initially promising nascent relationships when the status of my accomodations became known (4 times over the last 3 years) - the 'living in dad's basement' aspect is really fucking with my sense of self worth and I'm considering taking out loans.

However, I've seen friends who're now neck-deep in debt and, as a scientist, I'm not going to be in a position to pay off debt when I finish the degree (however many years down the line).

As a research science grad student, taking out a second/third job isn't really an option - there just isn't enough time that I'm not spending in the lab.

I just don't know what to do. Swell mood heading into the weekend, eh?

Next week I'll turn 28...
I'm still young, it'll be me..."

Besides, the right answer is, the right girl wouldn't care if you lived walk-in closet as long as she's with you.

Fenriq spoke for me with that statement.

It has a separate entrance, why don't you just say "I'm renting a basement apartment from this nice older man"? Plus, you're super cute. Get your self-esteem up and you'll do fine.

Can you spin to, "My Dad is living with ME?" Sort of like you're doing him a favor?

OK, so that would be lying, and I discourage it, but that sort of thing can sound good. A friend of mine just had his mother move in him, as she's between jobs, and the way he talked about letting her have time off to rest and really find a job she likes was SO CUTE.

he's not your dad, he's your "roommate". though, it might not hurt to get a haircut, fabio.

Let's put it this way: I left home for school, finished in 4 years and did reasonably okay but not fantastic. My brother lived at home until several years after graduation and is pretty damned wealthy now. Not living on one's own when one is not making a lot of money means that the money is not going for housing and can be used for better things.

Or drugs and alcohol.

I'm hardcore crushing on a guy who lives with his dad. So not a dealbreaker for me.

Depends on the girl. Depends on you, too. You're a student, so I'd say it's cool. Not like you're unemployed and playing video games all day.

Graduate school is one of a few legit excuses for continuing to live at home. Another is that you like your parent(s) and want to share a home with them.

If you don't really want to share a home with them, ideally, but you are, anyway, because of some temporary circumstances which will, eventually, go away, then there's no dealbreaker.

I have known folks who live at home because they just never took flight from the nest, emotionally, or they fear working for a living, or they.... are just in denial. There is a bad way to do it.

But living with Pops is not the kiss of death. In fact, multiple generations in one home is the norm in most of the world.

I knew someone who lived with his folks until he was 40. Of course, his parents lived in Florida half the year, and the gorgeous house had the ocean in front and a wide river in back so that was never a problem for the selected few women he brought there. He left home only when he got married (and the years he spent getting a degree he never used). But his parents were really cool, and not home a lot, and he was just an easy-going guy.