Living Away From Home for the First Time

Leaves are falling, there's a chill in the air, the lineup at the bookstore is 45 minutes long which means that school is well on it's way for University students.  For first years the beginning of the school year can also mean living away from home for the first time and that can be both intimidating and scary.  I've been living apart from my parents for four years now and these are some things I've learned along the way.

Budget Your Groceries

I didn't realize until I was in charge of my own food just how expensive groceries can be; that paired with the sudden ability to buy whatever you want can be dangerous.  To avoid getting overwhelmed plan what you're going to eat beforehand so you know what you need to buy before you get to the store.  Check what's on special to save money as well especially when it comes to meat!

Don't Be a Hermit

Living on your own for the first time (or even with roommates) can be scary and it can also be lonely especially if you've moved away from your hometown.  As lonely as it can be I've found that loneliness is only amplified by staying inside all the time.  Even if you don't have a lot of people to hang out with just going for a walk outside or to the mall or something can make it all feel a little bit better.  I can't count the number of times that one small outing (even if I was still alone) turned my day around but sitting alone on the couch has almost never made me feel better.

Clean Up After Yourself

You will never appreciate all the work your mom does to keep the house neat and clean until suddenly you have to do it all yourself.  Hard as it is I've found that I do feel better when things are neater.  At the very least do the dishes, do your laundry, and don't forget to wash your sheets every so often.

Most of all I would say enjoy it; it can be fun to figure everything out on your own and to decorate a new place, it's a new adventure that you get to do on your own for the first time and if you need help your parents are only a phone call away (seriously call you parents, they miss you).