The academic year is about to start and you need to get yourself ready to move closer to university. This can be an exciting and nerve-wracking time as it might be your first time out of your parents’ home. You’ll have a lot of mixed emotions flying around. It’s scary. Do you have to pay electricity to your landlord every month? Do you really have to do everything on your own? There are a lot of things to consider before making that final decision to live on your own.
Living on your own will teach you to be independent and responsible. You’ll no longer have your parents yelling at you to attend classes or do the dishes. You’re able to play music as loud as you want, keep your own hours and prepare whatever food you feel like. This is all part of the growing-up process.
However, with all the fun you’ll be having, you must remember academics are your first and main priority. Moving out early is a positive decision but it must be done with enough preparation and planning. There’ll be several concerns and fears when you’re planning to move out. This is all normal. The only way to cope with these fears is to face them and continue with your plan to move out.
Check your finances
This is the most important thing to check as you won’t be able to survive without it. While you were living at home, there wasn’t a need to stress about your finances as your parents took care of it. Being on your own means you need to start setting up a monthly budget. Think about what your monthly income will be and take it from there. Work out how much you’ll pay for rent, your car and groceries. From there you’ll be able to determine what your expenses will be and how much you can spend on yourself. It’s not a great feeling to see your money coming in and heading for the door at the same time. Before moving out, get your finances in good order.
Find a place to live
A lot of flats near your varsity may already be furnished. Meaning you don’t have to stress about buying furniture. However, that’ll usually be more expensive than renting a flat without furniture. At this stage, while being a student, it’ll be best and cheapest option for you to rent a flat without any furniture. You can ask your parents to help you with the basic essentials. Decide whether or not you want a roommate. Perhaps your roommate can help contribute towards the furniture. Plan ahead and start collecting a few essentials that you know you’ll need. Start with a bed and a study desk. There are a lot of fridges for sale at low prices, in case your parents don’t have an old one that’s still usable. When you’re looking for a flat, ask whether they require you to pay a month’s money in advance or not.
Saving
Start investing in your future by saving as early as possible. As a student, saving is probably the last thing you think about. That sounds more like a thing your parents would do, right? You’re never too young to save and you can start doing it right away. You might not have a lot of money coming in and it feels like all your money goes towards rent, food and textbooks. But you don’t have to start with big amounts right away. If you schedule your savings into your budget, you’re more likely to stick with your saving plan. Let the bank do a debit order every month, that way you’ll be more disciplined.
Check out all discounts
You’re a student and can’t afford to pay full price for everything. Take advantage of discounts whenever you can. Whether you’re going to a concert or buying groceries, ask whether there’s a student discount. You might be surprised by how many places are willing to give a discount to varsity students. After all, they know that you’re on a tight budget. They’ll probably ask for your ID or student card, so always keep it on you. If you get the opportunity to do an activity for free on campus, go for it. Who knows, that activity might cost a fortune and you get to do it for free.
Moving out for the first time should be fun and you’ll enjoy every moment of it. Whether you’re moving to a different city, or perhaps another province, moving out of your parents’ home is an exciting one. Don’t be afraid to ask your parents for help when needed.