Ready to move out of the dorms? Here’s how to make your first college apartment experience fun, balanced, and drama-free
It’s Fall of Freshman year and you are envisioning the excitements of living in an apartment sophomore year. The personalized decor, the ability to host events and just much more space to thrive in. However, you must keep in mind that living on your own is not an easy hurdle to overcome. Here are some things to consider when planning your perfect housing experience.
1. THE ROOMMATES
More important than ever, you should choose to live with the right people. That does not necessarily mean your freshman year best friends or people you think are nice, but the ones who are compatible with your living style. It is very common for people to choose to room with who they are the closest with, expecting to have the best year ever. However, if you do not know the other person’s living habits and it becomes a problem in the future, this can cause countless arguments. Speaking from personal experience, I have watched friendships around me fall apart, simply due to measly arguments over little things such as room layout, division of chores or general habits. In order to enjoy who you are staying with, ensure that you are honest about your personality and living behavior to find someone who matches your style. Do not simply settle for the people you already know well, even if that feels like the safest option. Sometimes even random roommates end up being a blessing in disguise.
2. Completion of Chores
Living away from home means that you now have a lot of responsibilities to take care of. Apartments, especially, are a step-up from dorms and require proper maintenance in order to foster a positive living environment. Delaying basic tasks such as doing the dishes, sweeping or wiping down the counters, could result in a very disorganized space very quickly. Doing a bit of cleaning, bit-by-bit, prevents the spread of germs, reduces stress, promotes good health and much more. However, no single individual should have to bear the burden of completing most or all the chores, as that is very exhausting and simply unfair. Establishing certain duties to certain people is the best way to equally divide up the work for an apartment, ensuring a clean living space to thrive in. Cooking is also a choice, which can be decided upon by roommates, and is beneficial to learn, but is not always practical due to time constraints. Meal preparation in advance, or purchasing a meal plan is a good way to combat the stress of daily cooking.
3. THE COSTS
Most students do not have jobs or a steady source of income, so it is important to focus on minimizing expenses such as eating out or shopping. It is also important to work with your roommates on splitting certain costs such as groceries or supplies for the apartment, so that once again, fairness is being enforced. Rent is already quite expensive, so staying on a budget can be extremely helpful while getting through the year. For example, buying groceries at places such as Whole Foods can be extremely pricey, whereas, stores like Trader Joes are much more affordable and you are still able to find the necessities you need.
Overall, apartment living is extremely exciting, but it is important to take into consideration these factors in order to have a successful year, wherever you are staying. Most importantly, remember to have fun and truly enjoy the place you are in.