I have officially been moved out of my parents' house for a week, and boy, do I have some thoughts about it.
I have a single apartment in college, and I have had to adjust to being independent. I have definitely learned a lot already, so I'm going to share what I've learned in case anybody else finds themselves in a similar situation.
Moving into your own place is exciting, scary, and overwhelming. So here are 10 things I've learned from living on my own.
1. THE DISHES
I had no idea dishes could pile up so quickly for just one person. You'd think I was cooking for a small army by the amount of dishes I go through. My tip: Don't wait until the next morning to do the dishes. If the kitchen is a mess at night, get it cleaned up before you go to bed. That way, you can sleep soundly knowing there won't be a pile of dirty dishes in the sink to greet you in the morning.
2. You will miss your dog. A lot. Like, a whole lot.
I know I'm not breaking any new ground here, but it's true nonetheless. After you move out for the first time, you will miss your dog so much that it's borderline unbearable. If you're close enough to home that you can visit, try to ease yourself into being away for long periods of time. But, if you don't have that luxury, be sure to pack plenty of pictures to put around your new place and check out resources on campus. Oftentimes, colleges will bring puppies on-campus to de-stress students, especially during exam weeks!
3. And, you'll miss your family as well.
I'm super close to my family, so I made the choice to go to school with a pretty easy commuting distance from home. In fact, I commuted my first year. So, I have the good fortune of visiting home whenever I want. However, if you find yourself farther away from home, be sure to set up designated times to talk with your folks. Even if you think the transition to freedom will be a breeze, prepare for homesickness anyways. Having a plan in place to talk with your family will help!
4. You actually have to kill bugs
It's horrible, but true.
5. When something doesn't work, you have to fix it
Now you actually have to know how to use a screwdriver.
6. No one is holding you accountable for your work
College is about gaining more and more freedom. Once you live on your own, this freedom stretches to your whole life, not just school. It can be amazing, but don't take advantage of it by slacking or getting behind on your studies. You're only hurting yourself.
7. You have complete control over the TV
The advantage of living on your own is not having to fight over the TV. This means I can watch Fixer Upper until the wee hours of the morning without anyone judging me.
8. You get to develop your sense of style
Now you can put all that knowledge you've learned from watching HGTV to the test.
9. You learn to appreciate the quiet
Not having any roommates means you get to spend a lot of time alone. This gives you the opportunity to enjoy the silence and enjoy the privacy.
10. You realize that you never really "grow up"
I think every college student is waiting for a moment where they feel like they've grown up and became a real adult. Well I'm here to tell you that moving out does not take you to that point. You are just a big kid that now has to cook and clean and pretend to be a grown up.
