4 Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving Out for University

By Iris Peña

Living on your own for the first time while navigating university/college comes with newfound responsibility for teens. I remember the feeling of excitement to start a new life, but being unaware of the level of responsibility that lay ahead. As a fourth year student who moved three hours from home, there were many experiences I learned from. If your teen is heading off to university, support the transition with these helpful tips that would have saved me stress, money, and time.

Embrace the New

If your teen is shy, I understand how intimidating it can be to start school not knowing anyone. I was once in that position. The orientation week of activities to welcome and introduce first year students helped me get out of my shell. I even met a life-long friend! Encouraging your teen to attend their school’s orientation week can be extremely beneficial. Not only do they get a taste of campus life, but they can also meet friends before school begins. Talk to your teen about these benefits on how attending will slowly ease them into their new student life.

Student Life Balance

It’s normal to get sucked into the fast-paced world of school, but it’s also important to remind your teen to maintain a balance of school and time for themselves. I learned the hard way that when your mind is stressed, you cannot focus properly. Helping your teen find a relaxing outlet to calm their minds from a busy day is essential for their mental health. A calm mind will increase their focus and performance in school. Advise them to fit some “me time” into their schedule – whether that’s in the morning before class, at the end of the day, or on weekends. After a full day, I went to yoga classes in the evening. Many schools offer free access to their gyms or fitness classes. Explore these options with your teen.

Other calming outlets that I discovered are reading before bed instead of scrolling on the phone, baking sweet treats, and  journaling to release thoughts and feelings kept inside. I also admire creative outlets, such as colouring with Coco Wyo books or art activities with friends. Cheap art supplies such as canvas, paint, and clay can be found at the Dollar Store.  Some fun art de-stressors I tried were painting, scrapbooking, and making clay magnets.

Easy Food for Fuel

Many teens can relate to the guilty pleasure of Doordash or UberEats. I gradually learned that although takeout food is convenient for a busy student, eating it often can be pricey and affect your energy levels. Having it once in a while when time runs low is no crime, but encourage your teen to stick to a regular meal prep routine. This saved me time and money!

Here are tips for your teen that helped me! You can also check out Meal Prep Kingz for a full guide to help teens meal prep.

• Use Pinterest for fun meal prep ideas.
• Plan out different meals for the days of the week.
• Create a grocery list of the ingredients you need.
• Try to make your lunches/dinners on a Sunday before the week starts.
• Incorporate healthy food options to fuel up for school.

My go-to quick and delicious meal: pasta salad with protein pasta, greek dressing, feta cheese, and lots of veggies!

Student Financial Responsibility

When teens spend more than they can afford it accumulates into a tough financial situation. Teaching teens financial responsibility is key for them to thrive while living on their own. Show them how to make a budget log for their monthly expenses; groceries, toiletries, rent, leisure, etc. This will help them stay aware of how much they can afford. Every month they can also track what they are spending. This helped me learn my spending habits and how I can improve.  A budget log and tracking sheet can be easily created on Google Sheets. You can also help your teen explore apps to help them track their finances. Here are some helpful apps for teens:

• Toshl Finance: A user-friendly finance app that offers bill reminders, budgeting, and expense tracking. Teens can log their personal expenses into the app and categorize them. This allows them to visually see what they spend the most and least on. They can also set monthly budgets for each category, helping them learn to live within their means.
• PocketGuard: This app is designed to help users meet their financial goals. PocketGuard can help teens learn and understand the meaning of disposable income and money management. It allows them to track their spending and bills. The app features automatic expense tracking, which categorizes transactions. It also gives teens in-depth reports and analytics. This displays where their money is going, making them aware of how they can improve saving.

Moving out for university is a huge milestone. With the right support, your teen can thrive. Share these tips, talk openly about the challenges, and check in often – it makes all the difference!