You have done it, you have finally moved out! Now what?
Moving out is a romantic idea. The freedom, the independence, the sessions, it all sounds perfect on paper. But all it takes is one bad day and you’re willing to swap it all for one home-made meal from your mam.
But you gain so much from moving out. You learn valuable life lessons that you would never learn otherwise. Lessons that would seem foreign to the person still living at home. Here are just a few of those lessons.
1) Be ruthless
Look, you’ve gone from paying no rent or bills to having to do both. You can be forgiven for cutting a few corners here and there. So if you’re in McDonald’s and there’s complementary salt and napkins, there is no shame in taking a couple (of thousand) extra. It has to be done. And toilet roll is expensive too, who knew? So, do what you have to do.
2) Houses can get DIRTY
You may move out with the intentions of being a new man. A cleaner man. “How hard could it be to just clean up after myself?” The answer? Probably not hard at all. But you still won’t do it. You start to wonder how your house back home just magically cleans itself all the time.
3) Your grades don’t just automatically improve
Lots of people move out just to be closer to college so that they can really knuckle down and focus on their work. Which is a great idea. In theory. But you do actually have to knuckle down. Your grades don’t just automatically improve because you live within a closer proximity of the college you attend. If only…
4) This isn’t America. This isn’t a frat house.
You may have moved out and thought “YES! A party house. We’ll have at least three parties a week, definitely.” And then you have one. And then you have to clean up afterwards. And then you never want to have one again. You’ve gone from wanting a party house to quiet nights in watching Louis Theroux documentaries and reluctantly having a pre-drinks once a year. Maybe.
5) Does anyone know if you can microwave this?
This is one of the biggest risks you take when moving out. You are going from having your dinner prepared for you to struggling to make a few waffles without burning the house down. This makes it particularly hard to eat healthily, especially when the chipper is only around the corner. Ah well, the diet starts tomorrow anyway.
6) It’s every man for himself.
Again, you may start with the best of intentions of being the best roommate ever. That sauce you bought? Sure it’s for the house. The butter? Everyone can have some.
But give it a month. Wait until your financial situation starts to worsen, and you realise that you can’t afford to be so generous with your goods. It’s time to clamp down. You start hiding toilet roll under your pillow, they’ll never find it there. And leaving your shampoo in the shower after you’re done? No chance.
7) Be grateful
This is without a doubt the most important lesson you are going to learn from moving out. When you go home at the weekend with a bag full of washing and an empty stomach expecting a big feed, maybe just thank your parents. They deserve it. And after all, it will be no time at all until you’re struggling to make cereal for breakfast again.
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