This coming May, I will be graduating from college and starting grad school in the fall. A lot of exciting things are coming my way, and I want to be there for every single second of them! So I made a pact with myself that I will be moving out of my parents' house and moving to an apartment either on or near campus for this coming fall.

I'm planning on getting my own place, and I'm so excited to have everything be placed exactly as I would want them, not according to my family. And while I love my family and they're not forcing me to move out, I'm at the point where I want my own space and a little more privacy than what I'm getting right now.

But thinking ahead, there are a couple of things that worry me about living on my own, mostly money-related. I would like to live on or near campus in an apartment, but the rent plus utilities is a big investment each month. It worries me that with the job I have, I'm not going to be able to afford living by myself without eating hot dogs and ramen noodles for lunch, breakfast, and dinner. An easy fix to the money problem is to get a roommate or two, but since I'm going to be in graduate school, I want a little more peace and quiet than what my friends could give me, and it goes back to me wanting my own space.

My family also definitely doesn't want me to move out, which makes me a little more stressed than I should be. I know they support me with any decision I make, not just with living arrangements, but my mom keeps telling me over and over that I can stay as long as I want, while my sister thinks I'm dumb for leaving the high life here at home. She then brings up the money part of the problem, which doesn't help anything. I know they're just looking out for me, but a huge part of me just feels ready to leave—something that I've never felt before.

I moved out for a semester my freshman year and into my sorority house, and even though it was fun to be on my own and not have to tell anyone where I was all the time, I'll admit that I wasn't ready for that experience. I wasn't as self-assured as I am now to make that commitment of living on my own and really taking care of myself.

I know I have a lot to learn living on my own, like how to cook something other than pasta, but that's the point—I want to do it on my own. I want to make mistakes and figure out how to budget and get by each month. I need this kind of freedom and learning experience that only I can do by myself. I'll still ask my family for advice and call my mom on how to use a crock pot, but I know I can do this. I have confidence in myself and my ability to survive without having to rely so much on my parents.

Money will be tight, but I'm looking forward to everything to come next fall! Look out world, here I come!