So, the time has come. With your high school diploma in hand, you are officially released into the big wide scary world. A world where danger and opportunity lurks at every corner. A world where your parents are not there to guide your every decision. A world where you need to realize a few things before entering. What more can you learn from the parents who have been training you to leave the nest?
*This article was a collaboration between Camden Campe and Mary Marr.*
I don’t know about you, but whenever I go to the store, I buy snacks. And more snacks. And even more snacks. And then a candy bar. I don’t really know how this happens, but in one hour, I manage to spend over $100 on snacks and candy. The milk never even makes it into the cart.
Because let’s be real. No college student has any priorities besides eating, sleeping and Netflix. Occasionally homework, starting around 2 a.m. Setting priorities will make life 100000x better, with more free time for Criminal Minds.
Whether it be a dorm room, apartment, or your very own house, you cannot live by yourself without having to cook at least one meal. It doesn’t matter if your expertise only goes as far as a microwave; there are still things to be learned. Who knew that decorative paper plates had non-microwavable metal in them?
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Do you really know how to do your own laundry? What do you do when there’s a stain? How many different ways do you need to separate clothes? Does water temperature even really matter? Help.
Going back to my shopping problem… saving money is a challenge in any environment, but it’s especially difficult in college. First, you probably don’t have a source of income (unless your parents are still give you allowance – which in that case, can I be adopted?). Second, at the rate you’re consuming random assortments of things here and there, you’ll never make it out alive. Or with even $2 to your name.
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Because calling the doctor yourself is scarier than checking Blackboard after a midterm. If you’re out of the nest, you should be able to make a phone call.
A cracked phone, a broken car, a stolen credit or debit card- all the above are struggles that won’t be fixed by just a hashtag. You actually need to know some sort of things in order to fix said situation… or situations if it’s one of those days.
When you think about it, we have absolutely NO clue about how to write a formal letter or email. Shout out to the 21st century. Nowadays we cringe and groan when we are told to write a simple “Thank you” or “I’m sorry” note. The more you think about it, you’ll need to be able to write your colleagues proper emails without being 100 percent judged, especially after you graduate.
When we can rely on a quick snap or text to communicate, it’s easy to forget that the more adult things in life aren’t as instant. If our parents guided us, we wouldn’t be so confused on why we can’t pay rent via Venmo.
Jump starting a car, changing oil and changing tires are all necessary skills to have as an independent driver. You may not feel the need to know now, but you’ll regret it when you drive over that screw and are screwed on the side of the road… pun intended.
Yes, you are no longer registered as a dependent. Yes, you must file taxes. Yes, you will probably die trying to figure out how to navigate the forms.
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Taxes are hard enough to balance. But what about your classes from 8 to 12, your job from 3 to 5, your club from 5:30 to 7, and your sport from 8 to 10? It’s hard to find time to eat, let alone do homework.
This was taught in middle school, then once again freshman year health class. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE brush your teeth, comb your hair, wear deodorant, and shower. This helps so many people surrounding you, but you will feel so much better if you keep yourself clean and healthy outside of the nest. Besides, who wants to pay for dentist appointments for gum disease and gingivitis when all you had to do was brush and floss?
When you start to encounter moldy cups, hair in a shower drain causing flooding, expired food, dust and crumbs everywhere, that should be a clue. Now when the bugs come in, the room smells, or just looks plain right disgusting, that should be a clue to pick up.
If you’re like me, online shopping is a daily thing. Chipotle once a week. Coffee here and there. If you start saving early enough, you might have enough money to pay for the “necessary” textbooks, dorm life, food, and whatnot. This lesson will help in the long run with how to budget for things that are actually necessary, with a few exceptions.
It seems a lot easier to throw in the towel once you are out there in the midst of it all. But trust me, persevering is a lesson hardly taught but always needed. Whether it’s the all-nighter you pull the day before that test or the motivation you must keep pursuing a career path everyone says “won’t work out,” it is important to know when you need to quit, but also when you need to keep going.
You’ve probably been going through the same everyday ritual ever since you can remember. But now you’re independent, out of the nest and in your new college lifestyle. Why not try new things?
Even if you don’t think so now, you will miss your parents somewhere, someday. Their quirky, but annoying at the time, way of getting you up in the morning to the sound of their singing. Their screams from downstairs that dinner is ready (oh the joys of home-cooked meals). Their tiresome stories about their day. You may not miss all of it, but you will sure miss enough for a few hundred or so cry fests outside of the nest.
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