When I was little, I always had the security of knowing that if I needed something, or if I was confused, I could look for help from an adult in the room.

Somehow, without my knowledge or permission, I have become said adult in the room.

I am a recently graduated, 22-year-old actual adult who, before writing this article, spent at least two-hours on the internet making sure that her virtual Neopets were well fed and cared for.

So I'm not really sure how I've been promoted to this whole "grown up" thing, but I have been, and in doing so I have been forced to face one of the biggest challenges that can accompany ones journey in to adulthood.

Finding my first apartment.

Moving out can be considered one of the most prominent stepping stones in the constant uphill trek that is adult life. Unlike real trekking, however, there doesn't seem to be a summit to rest on until well into old age. So while advancing to this much looked forward to step is one that I can hardly contain my excitement for, it's also something that I have found to be a trial by fire.

Hollywood makes it look so easy. They leave out all the parts that make you want to tear your hair out by the roots and run to your parents screaming. Now I know, I shouldn't be complaining about the fact that I am one of the few millenials who isn't currently restricted to living at home, even as I attempt to pay off over my hundred grand of student loans.

But still, finding an apartment is hard. So here are a few tips that may make your experience less hair wrenching and more enjoyable.

0. Prepare yourself for a full weekend.

I'm putting this as step zero because in all honesty, it's something you need to do before you even begin to search for places. It will most definitely take more than two days of constant searching before you even come close to finding a place you would feel comfortable living, and that's in the best case scenario.

So gear up. Snacks, water and plenty of rest. You have a mission, soldier.

1. Research what is in your budget.

Unless you are somehow magically gifted with the best job in the world, have been saving for this since you could walk, or have very generous parents, your first apartment is not going to be the one that you've created on Pinterest.

In fact, let's just unfollow Apartment Therapy now, shall we?

So instead, let's focus on the things you really need in your first apartment. Can a studio work instead of a one bedroom? Is it really necessary for your living room to be spacious enough to fit a small elephant? How important is it to you to live on the ground floor?

When it came to my apartment, I found I was much more willing to readjust my budget when it came to a difference of a couple hundred in a months rent.

2. Know the areas your budget limits you to.

At the same time, when you limit yourself only to your budget, you can also limit yourself to certain areas. While this may not be a problem for some people, it can make a difference to others.

I could have lived out in the boondocks while still falling in my budget, or for an extra hundred I could move to be closer to the city and be near important things like grocery stores and civilization.

3. Find a professional.

At the end of the day, you really don't know what you're doing. And while yes, you could probably go through apartment listings and find an apartment in your budget and get ahold of the managers of the buildings and schedule a time for a walk through and a meeting and secure a guarantee that you have time to think about the offer and-and-and-and-

You could save yourself both the time and the gray hairs that come with that option and instead find someone who actually knows what they are doing.

And now we all know that there are plenty of real estate agents who are dying to get ahold of your wallet, there are also, dare I say it, free options as well.

Some apartments actually lease out to independent contractors who's jobs are to help fill vacancies that they may have. Their services for those who are looking for an apartment are free, which is especially helpful to recently graduated students or just struggling twenty something's in general.

And finally...

4. Record the experience.

And I don't mean this only in a nostalgic "remember your first time apartment hunting" sort of way either.

Take pictures of the apartment complexes, the rooms you walk through, the areas nearby. That way, when you're trying to show either roommates, or planning what kind of furniture you're going to need, or even comparing different apartment units, you have something concrete to go off of other than your own memory.

Now, will these steps serve as your personal yellow brick road on the journey to Oz (aka adulthood)? Yes. Will they make it any easier?

Probably not. Nobody ever said adulthood was easy, but at least now hopefully this will make your experience a little more bearable.