Moving out? What students should know

Graduating high school and leaving for college was always a dream, so I went through the process of applying for universities, scholarships, and purchasing my own furniture.

Never, however, did I consider my living situation, and I ended up with a four by four room at the Residential Learning Community (RLC) and a roommate who I thought was abducted on the first week of school; it turned out she decided to drop out of college.

Now that I have graduated from college, I look forward to moving to Austin, TX. Because of my previous mistakes, I now have some experience on looking for an apartment. Here are some important factors:

Becoming Independent:

• Practice becoming independent; believe me, it will be a shocking transition if you don't.• If you don't wash or iron your own clothes, start doing so.• Steal some family recipes and learn how to cook. If you don't, you will be living off of Ramen Noodle soups and fast-food restaurants, so you might as well welcome the "freshmen 15."• Start paying, at least, your cell phone bill. This will get you into the habit of having a monthly payment. You will have more of those when you move.

Budget:

• Start saving money.• Take into account that when looking for apartments, there are application fees, and you might have to fill out more than one.• Also, once you choose a place, there is a deposit fee; some fees are non-refundable.• Don't save money with only the rent in mind. There are cable, internet, electricity, and water bills; these also require deposits.• Keep in mind that you have to eat, shower, and clean. Spending money on groceries, shampoo and conditioner, and cleaning supplies is also essential.

Looking: (part 1)

• Use the phonebook, newspaper ads, and internet to find available apartments. However, do not settle for descriptions or pictures on the internet. Narrow your choices according to taste and budget and go look at them. Things aren't always the way they seem.• Take into consideration the location of the apartment. Do you have a car? If not, how will you get to your destination? • Try to find apartments that include cable and water; this will save you a lot of money.• Ask how long the lease agreements are and actually READ the lease.

Looking: (part 2)

• Will you be living alone or with roommates? More than likely, you will need roommates.• Find out whether they are reliable: do they have jobs; how do they plan to pay their share?• Are they clean? If they are not and you are, there will be arguments, and they tend to get ugly.• Do you know them? If not, will you get along with them?

After you have completed this process, you will be ten times more prepared than what I was when I moved.

Other students that have moved faced the same issues.

Sandra Hernandez, a junior sociology major, first moved on-campus. When you live on campus, cable, internet, and water are included, and rent is deducted from you financial aid, so she didn't have much trouble.

This semester, however, she moved off campus and is facing some differences.

"I was so used to having payments handled for me by the housing department; now I have to pay my own bills," said Hernandez.

Diana Aguillon, a freshman, agrees.

"My biggest challenge was being more responsible; I now have to budget and pay monthly bills," said Aguillon.

Even though they faced new responsibilities, both of these students recommend moving out of your parent's home.

"It's a fun experience," said Aguillon.

"Living on your own prepares you for the real world; you learn to be independent and responsible, and most importantly, you learn how to manage your money," added Hernandez.

Finding an apartment can be tedious; however, if you research and prepare, it can be a great learning experience.