The College Student Responsibilities

     The day a person moves out and off to college is the day that they gain the responsibilities of an independent adult. Everyone knows that becoming a full-time college student is a huge responsibility in itself, but there are an endless amount of duties that are transferred from your parents to yourself that sometimes may not be recognized until you actually move out. You must do all that you can to prepare yourself for "the real world" before you move out, so today I am going to give you a few tips on surviving life on your own:

Household Responsibilities

One of the biggest changes for a newly self-sufficient college student is the everyday household responsibilities that are gained with the loss of their parents. Out of all the responsibilities you gain, the most difficult one that most college students must take into their own hands is doing their own laundry. Knowing how to do your laundry and how often to do it is vital in surviving on your own. You must learn not only how to cook for yourself, but how to make sure that you are eating healthy as well. Maintaining a clean home is also a major task that you will be held accountable of. Although these may seem like second nature to some, it may be really hard to get all of this done on top of the responsibilities of being a college student.

Schoolwork

The biggest responsibility gained from being independent is doing your schoolwork without the motivation of your parents. It is a lot different when you aren't being punished for not doing well in school, and when your grades are not sent home to your parents. In college, you are solely responsible for getting your schoolwork done. You are also responsible for maintaining good study habits while juggling all these new responsibilities that were usually taken care of by your parents.

Money Management

In order to live on your own, you need to learn how to spend your money wisely. The biggest financial changes that occur between living at home and living on your own is the fact that you have to start spending your money on what you need, rather than what you want. Even though you should save any of the extra money you have left over after paying your necessary bills, if you really feel the need to use your money for recreational purposes it should be limited and uncommon. It is very important to set a certain amount of money you will spend throughout this recreational activity, and even more important to not go over that amount. If you have always been the type of person to take their debit/credit card with them "just in case," I advise you to stop with this habit right when you move out on your own to prevent spending money unnecessarily.

     This is just a very small portion of the real experiences that go along with breaking free from our teenage life at home to transitioning into an independent adult. There are countless special duties that may pertain to one person and not the other, so it is important to recognize your personal situation and create a plan to be successful on your own. Whether you have already been independent or very dependent on your parents at home, you will go through  major changes once you move out and I cannot stress enough the importance of preparing yourself as best as possible!