Written by Mia Elliott
Here are my biggest tips for moving out of home that no one taught me. All these tips are from my personal experience of moving out of home into University Accommodation.
1. Pack lightly!
I recommend packing lightly. Otherwise, you will be carting your items in for hours and unloading car after car in the stinking hot summer heat. I packed my items in striped shopping bags, and I had 2 cars full to the brim of these bags… Whoopsies. I also recommend buying the large items you will need when you get to your accommodation and settle in. During the semester when I would go home, I found myself taking the things I didn’t use back home. You can always buy the things you need once you are there!
2. Label all the stuff you have bought from home
Losing things is the worst. Especially when everyone has bought the same utensils, sheets, clothes and pots from Kmart. This makes it easier to be able to find your things and avoid getting them lost or taken by your dormies by accident.
3. Budget your money according to what you earn and apply for scholarships!
Budgeting your money is vital as a University student. Making sure that you have a budget and a plan for how you will spend your money accordingly helps keep you in charge of what you spend and save. Life is expensive and everything costs money. I have learnt that the best way to get support is through the Charles Sturt Scholarships portal. There are plenty of Scholarships that are for all aspects of life and not just academic!
4. You will get homesick very quickly
Leaving home doesn’t fully take its toll on you until you’re in your dorm room studying alone. The loneliness hit me very early especially being so far away from home and living with people you don’t know for the first time ever. You might think it won’t, but it will. Talking with friends and family can make you feel closer to home and the people you love. I recommend a good Facetime every few days, so you can see your loved ones.
5. You don’t need to shop for 5 it’s just you…
Biggest mistake I made with buying my own groceries was overbuying. I was buying half a trolley’s worth of food for myself, and I didn’t end up eating it. It went off and was thrown out very quickly. To reduce waste, I recommend buying freezer food in small portions and your fruits and veggies in single serves as you can always buy more.
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