NationStates Jolt Archive

This is probably going to become a very real prospect for me, as I leave high school this year. What experiences have you had NSG, and what do you recommend?

This is probably going to become a very real prospect for me, as I leave high school this year. What experiences have you had NSG, and what do you recommend?

I recommend finding a roommate, and a decent paying job. I doesn't hurt to learn how to cook either.

EDIT: Its best to start off living with someone you know, no unpleasant surprises.

Even someone you know isn't necessarily going to make it all rosy though.... Sometimes people are completely different to live with!

Someone with similar sensibilities is best, e.g. likes the same level of tidiness (that can be a big thing with some people)

Fantastic fun though! You get to do wtf you want, and when you get lucky you don't have to sneak around!

I recommend finding a roommate, and a decent paying job. I doesn't hurt to learn how to cook either.

EDIT: Its best to start off living with someone you know, no unpleasant surprises.

I dunno . . .I moved out too years ago and ended up roomies with a guy I hadn't met before then. It actually worked out really well lol (that may be the exception that proves the rule though)

I dunno . . .I moved out too years ago and ended up roomies with a guy I hadn't met before then. It actually worked out really well lol (that may be the exception that proves the rule though)

First year of college I didn't get to pick my roommates. I got lucky as shit to have good ones, and we roomed together until graduation. Most people couldn't stand their roommies though.

Don't take too long saying goodbye, it'll probably make you over emotional. Don't just rush off either though. Take a couple of minutes, but not more.

First year of college I didn't get to pick my roommates. I got lucky as shit to have good ones, and we roomed together until graduation. Most people couldn't stand their roommies though.

Yah same deal with me. Me and my roomate are still rooming together but I've heard plenty of horror stories

The first breathe of freedom is exhilarating. Then reality kicks in as you look around and realise that mommy and daddy aren't there to clean up your mess. You've got a sink full of dishes, take-out containers everywhere and you're about to have company over. It's then you realise that cleaning is your worst enemy when you neglect it.

Don't know where you live, but "flat sharing" or getting a housemate is a good idea--if I were you, until I knew my economic situation was stable, I would not sign a lease and, instead, be the "sharer." If you are able to afford a lease and your own apartment, get a dog as a dog requires attention and also is a reason to get yourself out and gives you a reason to come home. Be aware though, having a dog makes it harder to share or rent apartments in the future! Finally, I would find a "social" cause to attend regularly, whether it is doing volunteer work or going to local zoning board meetings or whatever you are interested in--just not hanging out at bars!

The only Colleges (the NZ equivelant of Dorms, I suppose) are for out of towners. It tends to be 4/5 people to a flat here. But yeah, I'm pretty responsible and clean up after myself, though I probably couldn't rely on flatmates to do the same.

As to other flatmates keeping a place clean--I apartment share and I am not right out of school (rent is way to high here and I can't afford to buy)--my housemate and I share the cost off a housekeeper once every two weeks and it is not expensive.

That way, no one is arguing about whose turn it is to wash the kitchen/bathroom floors, vacuum, etc., and the apartment is thoroughly cleaned 2x a month. If you have 4-5 flatmates, that might be an idea as it would be really inexpensive.

I moved out (temporarily, but still) into a different city on the 1st of December, I'm scheduled to return in less than two weeks. And while it will be easier in many ways, I've gotten used to the life I've been living these past two months.

A lot of this won't apply to you because you aren't really moving away from home properly (as in, home will be close enough to get to without booking a plane, right?), but it's all an awesome experience. All of a sudden you're properly responsible for what you do at all times, and you don't have the mental crutch of your parents there to help out.

In my case, that has meant that silly, old me, the kinda lonely dude who spends hours on an internet forum, has been hitting the town two to three times a week, spent ridiculous amounts of money on alcohol, had mini-relationships with three girls, made several new friends and dozens of acquaintances and just generally cashed in on some of the debts life still owes me. When I get back to Brisbane, people probably won't recognise me.

So my only tip is: meet as many people as possible, and do whatever it is you normally wouldn't do. The rest will sort itself out.

Live with other people for a while, so you can experience the joy of not having to live with other people anymore when you get your own place.

had mini-relationships with three girls

That is a fantastic euphemism :D

I dunno . . .I moved out too years ago and ended up roomies with a guy I hadn't met before then. It actually worked out really well lol (that may be the exception that proves the rule though)
I've never lived with people I know, I always live with strangers and it usually works out. I've disliked two roommates out of 15 (I lived in a big house for a while) and I'm not sure if it's possible to have a better roommate than my current one.

This is probably going to become a very real prospect for me, as I leave high school this year. What experiences have you had NSG, and what do you recommend?

Some things to chew on...
1. Never, ever loan anyone money you can't live without. This includes co-signing for anything. My best friend owed me $2400 when he moved out, and took 18 months to pay it back. Puts a lot of stress on a friendship. Basically, I paid him half the utils every month, and he paid the MINIMUM on them all and pocketed the rest to live on. Needless to say, when he moved out and I saw 2nd & 3rd cut off notices on everything, I was furious!

2. Whatever else you may be doing, get at least one thing done per day for yourself. It amazes me how many people get caught up in life and don't even figure that out, then wonder why they're 30 with nothing and never did (fill in something here).

3. Take a week's vacation once a year. Doesn't have to be anywhere great, doesn't have to be expensive. Just do it. With friends? Better. With new experiences? That's all the matters. I still remember parasailing when I was 19.

4. If you're in college, remember that *that* is your job -- to become better educated. Treat it like one. Work from 9-5. (Read: don't go back to the room and play Fallout 3 between classes). If you do that, you'll have TONS of free time on weekends and in the evenings.

5. HAVE FUN. It may sound trite, but 17-23 are awesome years. Enjoy them!

This is probably going to become a very real prospect for me, as I leave high school this year. What experiences have you had NSG, and what do you recommend?I lived in a house with a neighbor who liked to cheat on his wife with a pair of handcuffs he'd link to the copper line that ran out of his room and into mine, made a great noise. And the lady who owned the house would pick chicks up with her son and fuck 'em in a coke-fueled frenzy in the room just above my room. I spent most of my time gone, 16 credit school load and 6 hour-a-night ('cept Sundays) job that i had to walk around to.
I didn't miss much, in certain respects. I did, one night, have to drive a stripper home and be reminded about how "nice" a guy i was for not taking advantage of her.
I left when i was gone for 3 days and came back to find them having eaten all my ramen and macaroni and stolen most of my weights.

My advice is make sure the place is nice or don't bother if you have a choice. It took me forever to move out and even then it was with roomates that were family. I always laughed when some people criticize others and think it's lame to not move out when they themselves are living in a dump barely getting by, and under the scam called renting. Woo hoo, that's so awesome! No, it's not, it's a funny thing to boast about.

Not being diligent about cleaning and doing dishes has earned me the enmity of several former roommates. The most important thing you can do is to quickly work out a system of washing dishes and taking out trash; dishes, either everyone does their own, or work out a shift system where one person does all of them, and trash, a shift system as well.

Find a gf/bf. They will keep things working fine ;)

This is probably going to become a very real prospect for me, as I leave high school this year. What experiences have you had NSG, and what do you recommend?
It's pretty easy stuff. I moved in with total strangers, and I'm doing alright.

No one has mentioned this yet, but it is of the utmost fucking importance:
CLEAN THE GODDAMNED TOILET ONCE A GODDAMNED WEEK
I forgot this rule the first time I was actually in a position of such responsibility, and so did my roommates. The results were ... unfortunate.
It is also useful to know how to cook. Simple things like bacon/cheese/onion omelets and skittles vodka will help pass your time and make friends.

Get a good pair of headphones. Sometimes, you don't really want to hear the things going on around you (unless you are living alone in a soundproof apartment immediately, in which case I hate you).

No one has mentioned this yet, but it is of the utmost fucking importance:
CLEAN THE GODDAMNED TOILET ONCE A GODDAMNED WEEK
I forgot this rule the first time I was actually in a position of such responsibility, and so did my roommates. The results were ... unfortunate.
It is also useful to know how to cook. Simple things like bacon/cheese/onion omelets and skittles vodka will help pass your time and make friends.

Get a good pair of headphones. Sometimes, you don't really want to hear the things going on around you (unless you are living alone in a soundproof apartment immediately, in which case I hate you).

This, and

1. Never, ever loan anyone money you can't live without. This includes co-signing for anything.
this.