Many parents raise their kids with rules prohibiting them from touching the indoor thermostat. This doesn’t mean lacking a heating/cooling system in the house where the indoor temperature parallels the outdoor temperature. Rather, the temperature isn’t going to be set at a specific value year-round. This is usually enforced in lower-income households, where it’s more expensive to run the systems. However, my parents, both of whom have stable incomes (which I’m thankful for), also adopt this rule. But why? Why is it beneficial, not just for preserving capital but to teach important lessons to those with more privileges (me included)?
One of the most important aspects of adulthood that you learn from adolescence is adaptability. For the majority of us going to college, adaptability is of the utmost importance for independence. The world truly doesn’t revolve around you and it doesn’t wait for you either, which is what we will experience in our college lifestyles. Those who thrive in a multitude of environments will achieve success in a greater magnitude than those who don’t.
As an athlete, I used to complain all of the time about the conditions. The water would be too cold at a swim meet, or the starter was bad. The blocks were too wobbly, the pool too dark. I would always use these as excuses for losing a race, and I often complained to my parents They scolded me, and I quickly learned about the importance of adaptability. When they told me the conditions were the same for everyone, I felt ashamed for acting like a crybaby. I realized that the swimmers I looked up to–other kids as well as professional athletes–swim in a multitude of pools, far more than I have. Yet they never complained.
The limited regulation of the heating/cooling system of your house is a slightly exaggerated analogy for my point on the importance of adaptability. However, it is mostly beneficial to regulate the amount of energy put into maintaining the indoor temperature. The most obvious advantage of limiting HVAC systems is the money saved. In Chicago weather, keeping a range of about 10 degrees Fahrenheit in the thermostat for winter and summer temperatures can save about a thousand dollars annually. Some people have an electronic thermostat to set the min/max temperatures to their comfort, but for those who don’t have this luxury, I recommend around 66/76 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter and summer respectively. This can change according to your preferences. Furthermore, if it ever feels too cold, you can always put on a sweater. For some reason, people think that having a sweater on in your house is an offense.
Another benefit is the increase in adaptability. Allowing your body to naturally regulate internal temperature instead of keeping this natural process suppressed with a set indoor temperature can increase the body’s adaptability. If you ever felt too hot while trying to sleep, exposing yourself to larger temperature variations constantly in your home can improve the body’s natural drop in core body temperature before you sleep. Furthermore, it can improve your immune system, circulation, and resilience to extremer temperatures. Most importantly, it teaches adaptability, not just for your body’s autonomic systems but for your mental resistance as well. Resisting the urge to have perfect conditions in these somewhat inconsequential matters will prepare you for the hardships you will endure as an independent adult, especially as you will soon venture into college.
Before you get all gung-ho about shutting off the thermostat (which I’m sure all of you are) there are a couple of drawbacks that I will discuss. Firstly, food can spoil faster in higher temperatures. If the indoor temperature is too high, some foods that were not meant to spoil in “room-temperature” will spoil in “room-temperature” due to the increase in heat and humidity. Conversely, foods can stale even in air-tight containers if the air is too cold and dry, and in more extreme cases electronic devices will operate significantly slower and even degrade faster. To counter this, I recommend buying a humidifier/dehumidifier for your HVAC system, even if you have a set indoor temperature. They’re more than useful, and it’s a worthy investment. They have numerous health benefits (which I don’t have room to discuss) that are super beneficial. Anyway, having a humidifier/dehumidifier doesn’t invalidate your mission of adaptability. Some modern systems are a huge benefit to rely on (health systems, transportation) while others aren’t. It’s important to negotiate the convenience of these modern systems, especially as technology continues to advance. Early Good Luck in college!