I was so happy to move out of the freshman dorms this year into my new apartment. Finally, I would have my own space again, and for the first time in my life, I would even have my own bathroom. While I’ve always considered myself to be a very social person, I sometimes struggled with the dorm life, as there was always something going on and alone time was rare. However, living in an apartment has faced me with more challenges than I initially anticipated, but after having lived off campus for an entire semester now, I’ve definitely adjusted.
For starters, I never realized how much I would have to clean, and how messy things just get naturally. At home, I share a bathroom with my two younger sisters, and to say it gets messy fast would be an understatement. The hair build up, the clothes mess my slobby sister will leave on the floor, and the overall maitenance we have to do to keep our shared space clean definitely gets intense. However, I always considered myself to be pretty neat, and kind of blamed the mess on my sisters. Living in an apartment, however, I’ve learned just how messy I actually am. Just the other day, I cleaned my shower thoroughly, and this morning when I went in there, it was disgusting, with hard water stains and hair all in the drain. I definitely have had to do a lot of work to keep it clean in there, adding to my responsibilities as a student.
Second off, the issues that came with my apartment have sent me through a coma nearly. When I first got there, my roommates and I all dealt with several issues in our bathrooms, from sinks and showers that wouldn’t drain to toilets that wouldn’t flush. Similarly, our fridge light wouldn’t turn on and just the other day, our window wouldn’t shut. The amount of times the maintenance man has been to the apartment is honestly pretty funny. I’m lucky to live in a complex with efficient maintenance and management, but not all of my friends can exactly say the same.
Finally, learning to cook and manage my time so that I have enough time to make healthy meals has definitely been a challenge, along with budgeting so that I can afford to eat right. At the beginning of the school year, I honestly didn’t eat much other than pasta and grilled cheese along with stuff on campus. However, I now have saved several simple but healthy recipes for me to cook. Just yesterday, I made myself a Caprese Sandwich and Spinach and Feta Raviolis. I still definitely make a lot of quick meals like grilled cheese, ceral, and frozen dinners, but implementing better choices into my diet have made me function a lot better as a person.
Although an apartment leads to added responsibilities, I would be lying if I said I would rather move back to the dorms with less responsibilities. Having my own space has taught me a lot about growing up, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.