Written by Brooke Heather
So…you’ve decided to take the leap and move out of home, now what?
There’s lots of reasons you may have decided this is the step for you. In my personal experience, I felt I needed to explore what places outside of my home have to offer.
Choosing to move out is massive and can be daunting, so I want to explain how I survived the first year.
The Initial Impact
Living independently meant one obvious thing – I had more bills than I could count. Firstly, I had to save as much as I could do put down a bond, furnish a room and to fund my expensive decision to move across the country.
I used ‘Flat Mates’ where I was able to find a room to rent for me and my two cats at an affordable price. Renting a room allowed me to build a glowing rental history and I have since been able to rent an incredible house in an optimal location.
Through my rentals, I have made so many friends, who also attend university, and I feel this has helped fill the void of not meeting peers through my university.
To add to this, let’s discuss how I became an online student. Of course, moving interstate required me to either transfer or transition to online study. I could see that Charles Sturt University offers unlimited support and resources for online students and I needed to be working part-time so I decided to give it a shot.
Online gives me full flexibility of my schedule plus I can still be involved in university activities, just from afar. I usually set a couple of tasks for my unit each day to complete which I can do after work. This system got me through my first year and I was able to save for some amazing holidays.
Honestly, online study has been the definition of a win/win situation for my chosen independent pathway while still working.
The Other Bits
Now what was it like leaving my family and friends to pursue a dream?
Tough. At first, I had no familiar faces in my new community and a whole new chapter to start. I knew I needed to take it one step at a time, and by doing just that, I got to where I am now.
I made another family by interacting with fellow university students, befriending coworkers and just meeting new people along the way. Moving gave me a chance to spread my wings and be a part of opportunities I would have never otherwise considered.
When thinking about if I would change anything, I don’t hesitate to confirm no. I still feel so involved in university but with a level of confidence that was achieved by my choice.
Everyone’s circumstances are different, but I encourage you to not be scared about what could go wrong and rather think about what could be.
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative.
