The obvious alternative to living with your parents is living by yourself, however paying the full rent bill hurts – a lot. For a one bedroom place near Melbourne University you’ll be coughing up around $330 per week. This is laughable for any full time student. To get the figure some where in the uni student ballpark, you’ll have to rent with others. So goodbye Mum and Dad and hello housemates.
Adiós to Ma and Pa
Do you think you’re Mum and Dad are hard to live with? Well, at least they clean up after themselves! Until you move out of home, you don’t realize just how much housework there is: vacuuming, mopping, washing dishes, washing clothes, ironing, food shopping, cooking, paying bills, taking out the bins… The list is endless, and even longer if your housemate doesn’t do anything.
Not only do your parents do most of the housework for you, they are also used to living the way you do. They have bought you up according to certain ways of living that you don’t even think about, like what milk you drink, how much alone time you’re used to, cleanliness, how you like your lasagna, meal times, you’re opinions on things and what TV program you watch while you eat dinner, or if you even watch TV during dinner. Your housemates will also have their own version of domestic reality, which is guaranteed to be different to yours.
Living with other people is sort of like playing Tetris – you have to make a whole lots of different shapes fit, and in order to do so each shape has to change a little bit to compromise the others and in order to make a bigger whole that functions. Except in the real world it takes a lot more work than simply pushing a few buttons. Coordinating different habits can be extremely difficult. You will both have to make compromises and accept that you are both going to have to change the way you live to some extent. But how can you compromise when you want to watch Top Gear and they want to watch Desperate Housewives? It’s all part of the deal of moving out of home. Being independent means a lot more than buying your own groceries. It will teach you to grow up, to be understanding and how to really become an adult.
In exchange for all of your hard work (socially and domestically) you will be given independence. Independence is every students dream. It means late nights, the ability to do what you want when you want (keeping in mind that a house party is out of bounds when your housemate has a 60% essay due) and live how you like (as long as they fit with your housemate’s ideals too). Okay, so independence is limited to the boundaries of consideration and general good manners. However, it is certainly a far leap from college and an even further one from the family home.
Unlike college and living at home, you will be responsible for your own meals. This will not only mean earning money so you can buy food, but also cooking it and ensuring you cook healthy meals, which by the way does not include Mee Goring out of the packet. Furthermore, unlike college where all your utility bills are taken care of, you will have to research and sign up to a provider and ensure you have the money to pay the bills every month. Otherwise you will be showering in cold water and studying only until sunset.
Cold shower
So what will it be: paying rent for more independence, or college for less cleaning? If you’re still confused, here are some pointers to help you out:
Pros of renting:
- More freedom and independence than at college
- You get to cook what you like, when you like
- Live with less people than at college
- You can pick who you live with
Cons of renting:
- You have to manage a budget and support yourself economically
- You will be responsible for paying rent and bills
- Living with others can be difficult
- You will have more housework to do than you would living at college