5 Signs It’s Time To Leave The Nest

There’s only so much time you can live with people before their habits start to wear a little thin on ya. Your younger siblings chewing too loudly, or ya dad leaving the house in a 30 year old shirt with so many holes in it it’s basically a fishnet. If you’ve gone through iso, it’s probably turned these feelings up to 11. Here are a few signs that it might be time to spread your wings and try your hand out in the real world:

1. You’ve got nothing left to do where ya live

There’s only so many times you can take a walk up to the local shops and back. Those old puzzles aren’t hitting like they used to either. This one can be super painful if all ya mates have moved away to study, and you’re left pretty much on your lonesome out in the burbs or your home town. And let’s be honest, that online dating radius is looking a little too far to be realistic. You find yourself daydreaming about living on-campus, discovering a hole-in-the wall cafe around the corner, or a club that plays all the music you love. Sorry to break it too ya, but you might be a fish who’s a bit too big for their pond.

2. You don’t know a wettex from a squeegee

Being a little off on your chores was a bit more understandable when you were a kid or a teenager, but from the reaction you’re getting from your ‘rents, it’s definitely not that cute anymore. Let me tell you, you probably have absolutely no idea what goes into keeping your household from falling apart. There’s mouths to feed, kitchens and bathrooms to scrub, sheets to change, groceries to buy. The spontaneous jaffles from your rents in the arvo are getting pretty few and far between, and they’re going to start getting you to help out in the garden if you don’t make a hasty exit. It sounds like a chore, but believe me, there’s something pretty satisfying about keeping your place the way you like it.

3. You’re starting to nag your ‘rents about how they do things

Or you could be on the absolute other side of the spectrum, and get a little on-edge when you see your ‘rents doing something like absolute boomers. I became a bit of a foodie in my late teens and really got into cooking, and I would have an absolute conniption when I’d see my parents using my non-stick pan with a metal fork. A huge part of growing up is realising your ‘rents don’t always do stuff that you agree with, and once that starts setting in, it’s probably a good idea to give each other a little bit of space. The good news is that once you’re not living with it, whether you agree or not on how the dishwasher gets stacked becomes way less of an issue!

4. The commute is getting pretty painful

The older you get, the further away things seem to become. When you’re in kindy or primary school, it’s all usually pretty local, maybe even just a short walk away. Then highschool comes around and you might be on a bus or two. Uni is a totally different beast altogether, and chances are the course you want is a solid trek from your family home, unless your ‘rents decided to raise a family in a student town. Imagine being somewhere like ANU with top-notch on-campus accommo, where you could be out of bed at 8:45 and in a lecture by 9? No more sad bus breakfasts for you!

5. You’re a little over the questions about your spending

Don’t think for a second that because you’re off the pocket money that you won’t get any less scrutiny about what you’re spending your money on. When you’re young, it’s all about making memories, and those don’t come cheap. It seems like once you get old you just forget how much it costs to be young (or their wages were way better, but that’s a discussion for another time). Once you’re outta the house in your own digs, as long as you’re taking care of yaself, what you tell your ‘rents is strictly on a need-to-know basis.

Chances are if you’re reading this article, you’ve already started thinking about busting outta your family house. If you’re thinking about uni, this could be an amazing two-birds-one stone situ. If you wanna experience a new city, find your feet out in the world and receive a world-class education, why not take a look at ANU and their accommo options?