College is a time where students are making decisions and are becoming more independent. Part of this may mean living alone. While many students want to live alone, whether or not they are ready is a whole other issue. If you are considering moving out and living alone but are unsure as to whether you are ready, take into consideration factors that can help you determine if you are ready to live alone or not.
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You are responsible
One of the biggest things to factor into your decision is how financially responsible you are. When you live alone, you will be responsible for all of your finances, whether it is rent, utilities, food, and other living expenses. If you are still in school, you will have to factor in tuition, books, and other school-related expenses. If you know how to make (and stick to a budget) and can keep your spending in check, you are on the right track. Other aspects of being financially responsible include having good credit, knowing how much is in your bank account, having a grip on bill due dates, and having an emergency fund set aside.
Living on your own comes with a lot of responsibility outside of finances. You have to remember things like turning appliances off and taking your keys with you. Living on your own means that you will not have a roommate or family member to check on things to make sure things are unplugged or let you in if you forgot your keys. If these things are habits for you, you may want to consider working on becoming more responsible before moving out. However, if you are someone who does these things for your roommates, you may be responsible enough to move out and live alone.
You can “Adult”
When you move out on your own, you will need to do things such as cook, clean, and do basic repair work. While eating out all the time is tempting, it is not practical, especially on a college budget. You have to know how to clean and pick up after yourself. This includes things like cleaning the toilet and shower, taking the trash out, wiping down or dusting surfaces, doing laundry, and doing the dishes.
You will also have to know how to use basic tools and do simple repairs. When you live alone, no one will be around to fix things for you when they break. If you live in an apartment, your landlord can help, but if it is something minor and something you need immediately, being able to fix it on your own can alleviate stress. Changing light bulbs and assembling furniture are things you will have to know how to do on your own. Bigger things like water or electricity need to be fixed by professionals, but small tasks need to be done by you.
You love alone time
For those who tend to love being around people and being social, living alone can be isolating. However, those who value their alone time can really thrive with living alone. This gives them a chance to recharge after being around people all day. You do not have to answer to anyone and you have your privacy to do what you need and want to do. Living alone means you can be as messy or as neat as you want without someone nagging you or you having to nag others to clean up. While some need that extra push to be organized, living alone allows you to be clean on your own terms.
You value free time
Living on your own means that you have free time that you do not have to justify to anyone. You do not have to answer to anyone how you spend your time alone, but when you live with roommates, a lot of your time will likely be spent with them. You can watch whatever TV shows you want since you do not have to share your TV. You can have friends over when you want without having to worry about roommates’ plans with studying or having their friends over. Not having to answer to anyone is something that many look forward to when living alone.
Roommates are not your thing anymore
Living with roommates can be fun, but you may find yourself dreading going home. Having roommates that you do not get along with can really impact your decision to live alone. When living in the dorms, you can turn to an RA to help you solve your roommate issues, but living off-campus can make things more complicated between roommates since you are left to deal with the problem on your own. Sometimes, these issues can be solved easily. However, if you find yourself in a string of issues with roommates that you just cannot fix on your own, you may decide that living with roommates is starting to impact you and you need to live alone.
The decision to live on your own is a huge step, but knowing that you are ready is a crucial first step. Even if you are not ready, knowing what you need to do to get there can be helpful.
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