Intro to Independent Living

Perhaps the most challenging part of starting college - or generally turning 18 and leaving home - is learning how to take care of yourself; in other words, adulting. Becoming an adult is more than just reaching the legal age; it involves paying your own bills and expenses responsibly, knowing how to manage your health and home, and dealing with a whole host of little issues and new obstacles you’ll likely encounter now that you’re taking care of yourself. While covering every situation an adult might deal with is way too much for just one guide, in this map we’ll cover some of the most important - personal care, budgeting, paying the bills, cleaning, cooking - and provide a general framework and tips for how to deal with these responsibilities. 

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Becoming your own independent person is one of the most exciting times you’ll experience in your life. But for the same reasons, it’s also one of the scariest. You get to decide what you want to eat, choose how to spend your time and money, and determine your home environment and who you want to be. You’re the one calling all the shots. All those things require time and effort, though - managing what is likely a tight budget, navigating administrative and technical forms, learning how to live a healthy life (in mind, body, and spirit). Figuring out how to do these things takes time and can be stressful at first. In fact, figuring out how to live independently and best take care of yourself is really a never-ending process. Ultimately, learning how to be independent is something everyone has to do, and the sooner you start, the easier it will be to take on life’s many challenges. 

So if you’re soon headed off to college, or moving out of your parents’ home, or simply reaching that point in your life where you want to start handling your own personal matters - read on! The following pages will be full of information and advice to get you started on living a truly independent life.