13 Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before Moving Out

With graduation just around the corner & younger family members getting ready to leave their nest for the first time, it got me thinking. There have been so many times being an old child that I wasn't taught or things done for me. I had to learn the hard way how some things work. Don't get me wrong. My parents were & are GREAT! They taught me so much! However, there are certain things that were just done for me.

So here is my list of Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before Moving Out!

1. No one will wake you up for school or work. Well, maybe if you have awesome friends. You will have to rely on you & only you to make sure that you get to class & work on time every. single. day. And if you're late there will be no one to call & get you out of it. You'll have to remember to set your alarm. And set it with enough time to get ready.

2. Sharing a space with someone is hard. My roommate was by best friend, but just living with someone is difficult when you are use to your own space. First thing you need to learn? Patience. Second thing you need to learn? Find somewhere else to spend your time. Whether you are sharing a dorm room or apartment you will need to find somewhere to go to be alone. Spending constant time with your roomie will drive you nuts! Whether it's a friend's house, library, coffee shop, park...find that place!

3. Remember meals. This may seem like common sense but when someone doesn't make every meal for you, you will forget to eat. There were so many times 4pm would come around & I would be so hungry that I would eat the first thing that I came across. Typically Steak n Shake. Which brings me to number 4.

4. Eventually fast food WILL make you sick, gain weight, & make you go broke. Learn to cook.

5. And speaking of learning to cook, you will need to know this. Cooking can be hard. Cooking can be confusing. Just learn how to use utensils! You don't want to go broke from eating out all the time & you cannot live off spaghetti o's & ramen noodles. Although it can be done for a small amount of time. Best way to start? Help mom cook in the kitchen. Ask her for recipes. Or invest in a cook book. Heck! Use Pinterest if you have to! Just get in the kitchen now! Oh & a bit of advise, boiling water takes forever if you sit & watch it, check to make sure the oven is empty before turning it on, you WILL burn things...get over it, & ask for help with anything risky (such as "How do I cut a tomato?" This could save your fingers).

6. Sweep UNDER furniture. You may not notice or care when you have dirt under your couch, but you better believe that when you have a party & that couch gets moved everybody will see the softball size dust bunny, ripped up Cosmo, moldy food, or something that you will forever question if it was once alive. And you will be embarrassed as you hurry to grab a broom.

7. Dishes need to be done right away. But if you don't the food will grow science experiments. It will take 3 times as long to clean them. They will smell up your entire place. And they will attract flies. Flies do not go away easily. And then there are ants. Eventually there will be gnats...you know, you might as well learn how to kill bugs. A great trick is a bowl of dish soap & vinegar. They will become trapped & you can laugh devilish while you dump them down the drain.

8. Learn the simple things about your car. Seriously. I grew up with my dad who is a mechanic so I always had someone take care of it for me. Do NOT let your dad (or other person) do this for you. Learn about batteries. Remember that you have to get your oil changed every 3-6 months & keep track. Learn how to change a flat tire or at least how to call AAA or a tow truck. Seriously learn these. If you try, you will at least look like a responsible adult who tried.

9. Laundry. My mom had me do my own laundry starting around age 15. However, I only did it the way she told me. One cycle. Who knew that there were so many choices of water temperature, speeds, cycles, detergents? Learn these things before you end up with pink socks, a shirt that now fits a doll you had when you were 10, or an overflowing washing machine that floods the kitchen.

10. Pets are expensive. They are cute & yes, leaving Fluffy with your parents can be hard. But you will thank me after your $1,000 vet bill or $300 emergency bill that you have to pay up front before they will even look at your 2 lb ferret. Seriously. If you need a pet buy a fish.

11. Don't leave shit on top of the toaster oven or microwave. It will melt.

12. People will use you. This one is hard to learn. There are people who will use you as a doormat. Whether it's men, woman, friends, coworkers, or classmates, someone somewhere will use you. Don't break down every time it happens. Learn from it & move on.

13.  Call home. More importantly, call your mom. And call her often. She may do nothing but talk about the cat. She may do nothing but nag you about things you are or are not doing. But she will miss you more than you will know. Call her.