27 Nov 2019

When the time finally came for me to say later to my ‘rents and go venture out in the world on my own, I was a little overwhelmed. New city, new uni, new friends, new responsibilities…

Buying my own toilet paper was when I first realised I was officially an ‘adult’ and being on top of cooking, cleaning, bills, appointments and groceries became a part of my everyday life. Now I’m here to share what I learnt moving out of home for uni with you.

1. How to look after yourself without your mum

If you’re sick, your mum isn’t around to make you a ginger broth, place a hot tea towel on your forehead and tuck you into bed. To be fair, my mum never actually did any of this for me but living at home you at least know that the right medicine will be in the fridge and someone will be there to call your GP and make an appointment when all you can do is reach for the bucket beside your bed.

On top of that, when I first moved out, I was constantly bombarding my mum with questions. Can I microwave this? What is this weird rash on my nose? Why did all my clothes all shrink in the wash? Do you need fabric softener? Sooner or later, I could handle trials and tribulations without needing my mum’s magic touch (kinda).

2. All the chores are on you

Regardless of how many chores you were doing at home, when you move out there are always more and there’s no one to pick up the slack if you don’t feel like doing washing for two weeks. My advice? Get housemates to share the load (just make sure you’re all the same level of messiness).

3. How to cook

You never appreciate the value of a home-cooked meal until you need to do it yourself.

Moving out forces you to figure out how to feed yourself (and on a budget). YouTube tutorials and bulk buying at Woolies will become your best friend while you’re trying to figure it all out without spending all your cash.

4. Living is expensive

Rent, electricity, water and wifi is exxy. You’ll suddenly understand why your parents always yelled at you to turn the lights off when leaving the room and you’ll pile on three jumpers before you touch the heater.

As you’ll be copping all these costs, it’s worth choosing to go to a university that offers financial support. The University of Tasmania, for example, offers tonnes of generous relocation scholarships, some of which will even cover your entire first year of studying – check them out before you make any decisions about uni; they can make a massive difference.

5. What it’s like to actually be independent

Sure, cooking and cleaning like Cinderella isn’t super fun, but the independence that comes with it is a pretty amazing feeling. I remember how surreal it was that I could leave my apartment and not have to tell anyone where I was going.

You learn to be able to depend on yourself. You cook your own dinner, you clean your kitchen, you pick your own groceries, you pay your own bills, you clean your own sheets. You buy tin foil and dishwashing liquid. You learn budgeting skills and get on top of your finances. It’s something to be proud of and incredibly freeing knowing that your life is entirely up to you.

If you’re thinking of getting out of home for uni then you should check out the University of Tasmania. Their campuses are pretty amazing, and whether you live down the road or are moving interstate, they make sure your uni experience is something special.

Check them out and grab your free info pack over here.