Countless things have changed since I first came to college. I’m not making this article saying I’ve grown to become this whole new woman, but I know for a fact I’ve grown and changed from where I was freshman year. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a tell-all about my new life mentalities but in fact, just the lessons that have been learned through living away from home. Here are some of those lessons.
House Furnishings
My freshman year, I was coming into a new state and wanted to leave my Maryland room intact. Therefore, when I moved into the dorms, I had to buy a whole new room setup to live in. I was on a budget and I was more focused about function than fashion for almost everything. Now, I’m a junior living in an amazing house, using the same furniture as I had my freshman year. There’s no shame in this for those of you reading who have kept your decorations. However, I can firmly say I had zero to no taste as a freshman. I still don’t think I have taste, but with the help of my friends and family, I’m learning a lot about coordinating colors and themes. For example Instead of $2 blackout shades, I’m looking to purchase shades that are a little more visually appealing.
Easy Cooking
Freshman year comes with dining services, so naturally, all you need to know is how to put food on a plate or make a turkey sandwich. Living off-campus has taught me how to budget for groceries (for the most part lets be real) and decide how healthy or unhealthy I’m shooting for on a given week. My favorite grocery store has become Trader Joe’s because the preparation for their pre-made meals are easy and require little extra ingredients to purchase. It’s not exactly a master chef but it does the job.
Cleaning On the Go
I’m the type of person who has a designated chair I throw clothes on, however, my room at home is a bit bigger than my room in college. I’ve learned better skills to clean as I go, but no one’s perfect and I still have a designated clothes chair (granted the clothes amount on my chair has lessened). Also when in doubt dust with an old sock and wipe everything down with Clorox disinfecting wipes, works wonders.
Looking forward to more life lessons, and hope everyone enjoys theirs as much as I have so far!