As a college student, you get a little taste of what it’s like to be living on your own. As a 20-something who spends her semesters (and now summers) living in her own space, I’ve come across a few things that inevitably happen, and I’m sure I’m not alone. You’re going to have questions, you’re going to make mistakes, and you’re going to wonder who the hell thought it was a good idea to give you your own place. Check out these six things you’re bound to do at some point while you’re living on your own in college.
1. You will call your mother every other day to ask her stupid questions.
“Hey mom, how do you cook chicken?” “Hey mom, why is my washing machine making weird noises?” “Hey mom, how much Advil is too much?”
2. Budgeting gets tough and sometimes you'll need some help.
If you thought the days of calling up your parents and asking for an extra $20 is over, think again… But that’s OK. You don’t have to have your life completely together yet.
3. You'll get scared when you're by yourself.
I’ve found myself paranoid when my roommates had left the house, and every creek or bump had sent me through the house holding whatever large object I could get my hands on for protection.
4. Eventually, you'll probably splurge on a meal plan.
Because grocery shopping just isn’t something you’re good at, and you’d rather roll out of bed and to the caf than to spend your evening cooking a meal you don’t really know how to cook anyway.
5. You'll make the mistake of throwing a party...and then deal with the consequences.
The morning after, the last thing you want to do is mop your sticky floors and fill trash bag after trash bag with empty (sometimes not even empty) Solo cups. Save yourself the trouble and just go to a party, don’t throw one.
6. You'll realize how hard it is to maintain a clean living space.
You’ll be eating off of paper plates looking at your sink full of dishes thinking to yourself “this is rock bottom.” And that will be the moment you realize you have to work a little harder to keep your environment clean and healthy. Because not only is it something you’ll be proud of, but it’ll help keep you in a more positive mental state.
I know I’m not alone in saying that living by yourself (or with your friends) is one of the best experiences you can have, especially as a college student. But you also learn a lot about yourself, too. You learn what you’re capable of, what is expected of you, and how fit you are to be living in the (semi) real world. Just wait until you don’t have the college excuse to back you any more… Then how are you going to explain all those countless phone calls to mom and neglecting the chores you never actually set for yourself? It’s a time of learning and growing, but a time you’ll never regret, or forget.
Have anything else to add to the list? Comment below!
