Into the wild: Living on your own

Leah Deadman, 19, says it’s important to set aside time to eat.

BY JENNIFER STIENSTRA

Whether you’re a first-year student or not, living on your own can be an exciting and nerve-wracking time, not to mention a big change. It often means a new environment.

“It’s weird not being around people I know though,” said Jaclyn Frankum, 19, a student in Art Fundamentals and his been living alone for about a week.

“Being away from my friends is probably the worst part I miss them a lot.”

On the other hand, living alone also provides a sense of autonomy.

“Just getting to be independent and not having to worry about your parents worrying about where you are. You can make your own choices even though they aren’t always super great choices,” said Leah Deadman, 19, a second-year student in Visual and Creative Arts who has lived away from home for eight months.

“You can stay up up to 5 in the morning even if you have an 8 a.m. class in the morning.”

If a student feels uneasy or unsure about living alone, and they live in residence, they can seek the advice of a residence advisor (RA).

Sarah Thomson, 20, a third-year Media Arts student and RA at Trafalgar Campus, says in an email that they do their best to adapt to the needs of students living on residence.

“We are a diverse community of previous students who have had different experiences and want to help make others transition easier,” she said.

“Whether that means being a friend, a person to listen, a shoulder to cry on, or a resource on how to do laundry, we are all here to support the new residence community and help them succeed on a personal and academic level.”

One of the important things about living on your own is filling the void that comes with no parents, which means being responsible.

“I’ve learned to have a lot more respect and understanding for my parents,” said Thomson who goes on about how difficult it taking care with doing dishes, laundry and cooking.

“It’s a huge responsibility to live on your own, and after the initial one-month honey-moon phase of freedom is over, I think it starts to sink in for everyone.”

Responsibilities, including cleaning and sleeping on time, are important, said Deadman.

“The biggest thing is to have some sort of schedule or have some way to make sure you get stuff done that needs to get done, like cleaning your room, or sleeping or actually eating,” she said.

Leah Deadman, 19, says that no parents means taking on new responsibilities, including cleaning.

Ian MacInnis, 22, a third-year Craft and Design student and another RA, says that budgeting is equally important.

“Keep track of all your money going out and all your money coming in,” he said in an email, “Figure how much you can afford to spend a week and do your best to stay within it.”

As for Frankum, she believes that the best thing to do to get used to living independently is to meet new people.

“Don’t be afraid to talk to people. T here’s lots of people who want to meet new people and make friends just as much as you.”