I vividly remember the moment following my graduation back in May of 2012. We had emptied out my studio apartment down to the last cockroach, and once again, my big SUV was packed to the brim.

I have moved out of college so many times before, but this time was different. I was now under the law of the land -- parent law -- the minute I closed the door to my car. The ride from D.C. back to Connecticut felt like a century as I contemplated the highs and lows I was about to experience as a student reentering my childhood home. But now a year to the day past my eventual move-in, I see my experience as something truly beneficial rather than painful.