Student Living: Survival 101

It's great to be off on your own-maybe for the first time in your life. Student living is more than just living on your own. Sometimes it means learning to live with roommates, and it always means that you have responsibilities that you never had before. Whether you live on or off campus, here are some tips that will make being a student out on your own a bit easier.

Whether you live in a dorm or in an apartment, don't let the laundry pile up. It just becomes a daunting task that you don't want to do. Set a specific day for laundry. Use it as a time to relax with a good book as a treat, or use it to do homework for a class (killing two birds with one stone). Better yet, find a student “buddy” so that you share expenses (sort and wash your items together!) and then plan to treat yourselves afterward. The point is that when you are a student and you are living on your own, planning your time and your tasks becomes your responsibility (Mom won't do it for you anymore). Just studying can absorb so much of your time, and it is easy to forget about scheduling life into the mix.

Keep in mind, too, that you are no longer in your familiar neighborhood back home. Make a list with these three reminders to stick on your refrigerator or mirror: Always walk with a friend, call someone to let them know when you are leaving somewhere and when you expect to be home, and lock your door-even when you are at home. It's easy to think you don't need to do one or the other-but with the reminder right there, at least you will think twice and be safe.