You might be surprised to find out that while attending college, whether it’s Ohio State, Ohio University or some other school, you’ll learn as much about living independently as you will learn about whatever your major is. Well, that’s the hope anyway. Alas, some people score a “C” or worse at independent living. We’d like for you to not be one of those people, so read the following carefully…
Learning to Live on Your Own or With Others
The learning experience can happen whether you’ve got your own one-bedroom apartment in Columbus or a shared rental house in Athens, or whatever. Either way, the off-campus living situation is a decided departure from life at home with your folks or even life in the dorm. This time, you don’t have anyone cleaning up after you, cooking your meals, arranging to pay bills, etc. Also, in a shared rental arrangement, you don’t have resident advisers or the collegiate discipline system making sure individuals don’t step too far out of line.
Some Things You’re Likely to Learn
• Cooking. Well, we can’t guarantee you’ll learn this one, but unless you do, you’ll either starve, die of boredom eating Ramen noodles and frozen dinners every meal, or quickly run out of money as you eat out or get take-out for every meal. There’s plenty of instructions online for rudimentary cooking. Learn one meal at a time until you have a repertoire of 10-20 different meals for dinners. You can fall back on the basics for breakfast and lunch – cereal and sandwiches. These skills will follow you throughout your life.
• Deeper bonds. Living with other people your age, you’ll have an opportunity to forge deeper personal connections than in the hot-house atmosphere of the dorms. This will help your prepare for interpersonal relationships after you leave college.
• Life skills. Living on your own, or with roommates, you’ll be expected to arrange and help pay for utilities and other bills, sort out house cleaning and maintenance, deal with the landlord on needed repairs, and help with shopping. You’ll be on your own making sure you get to class on time and handle your academic obligations responsibly. All this stuff should be extremely useful in your post-college adult life.
• Learning to be alone. If you’re renting a one-bedroom or studio apartment in Athens or Columbus (or wherever), you’ll likely have a lot more alone time than you had in the dorms. Even living with housemates, you probably won’t have as much of your time obligated to group activities. Make the best of it by devoting extra time to your studies and other constructive solitary activities.