Make moving out much easier

Aislinn O’Connor

Moving out of home can be both scary and exciting all at once. Thoughts like ‘I can do whatever I want whenever I want’ and ‘who will make me a cup of tea when I’m sick?’ will be rushing through your mind all at once.

For some people they have no choice but to move away from home, but for others it’s a chance to have some independence. Either way it’s still a big step that we all need a helping hand with.

The main thing is not to spend all your money at once when you first move out. It’s very easy to do but budgeting is key. Sit down for five minutes at the start of every week and write down how much you need to spend for essentials, how much you’re going to save and how much spending money you have.

This will ensure that you’re not living off dry noodles one week and takeaways the next.

Come to college well equipped with all the essentials. Bring plasters, Lemsips, Sudocrem, kitchen gloves, comfy clothes for when the freshers flu kicks in and your favourite mug for that extra bit of comfort.

Buy a student cookbook. That will make sure you’re eating correctly while also helping you save money with quick recipes. They won’t ask you to buy all different spices and herbs that you’ll never use again but instead it will help you get the nutrients you need on a budget.

Talk to your housemates about splitting the nasty stuff like cleaning and maybe even splitting the cooking. It’s best if you do this at the start so one person doesn’t do all the cleaning and end up silently resenting it.

Finally, put yourself out there more than before because it’s the only time that everyone will be in the same boat as you. In reality the semester is very short, so try and do as much as you can with the few short weeks, join a society or club, go do things and make the most of the student discount.