By Legal Apprentice, Lewis Osborne
Moving away from home can be a daunting process for those reaching the end of their school years. Having just started here at Burges Salmon and moving away from home myself, hopefully I can shed some light on how you can cope with doing this yourself.
I have always had a keen interest in law and sought the apprenticeship route to pursue this interest further. In order to do so at Burges Salmon, I had to leave home, there was no way around it; commuting would have been too far and too costly – finding accommodation was a must do. Given the widespread popularity of the apprenticeship here, I am sure a lot of people will find themselves in a similar position to myself. Hopefully you will not be put off and find a solution.
Within this blog entry I will share my top five tips for moving away from home, no matter how simple. Hopefully these will normalise the process of living away from your parents and help you to take on the world independently!
Know what you are looking for
When you move away from home, you need to have in mind that you are more than likely to be spending a significant amount of time in your new place. Therefore, it is important that you are happy and comfortable there. To help achieve this, try to have an understanding of what it is you are looking for. Research into the broader area and think about what would live up to your own expectations. Perhaps decide whether you want a furnished/unfurnished flat and whether you would be sharing with others, or living on your own. Naturally, sharing with another person dramatically reduces the cost of rent and furnished flats save the cost of buying furniture. It is also worth looking into transport links and accessibility, if you are likely to travel home to see friends and family, this consideration should be made before moving. These are all things to think about before properly looking into moving – it will help you gage an understanding of costs but also save you some time.
Learn about the area around you
One of the advantages of doing an apprenticeship is that you earn money! As long as you pick an appropriate place to live, you should have some spare money to spend in the area around you. From a personal perspective, Bristol has endless opportunities to spend time with friends and enjoy yourself. For example, Cabot Circus has multiple shops to explore during your free time and there is also vibrant night life within the city centre, if that is something you are interested in. A huge benefit of living in a city is that there is something for everyone and always something to do. By looking into the surrounding area you can pick out things that catch your eye and try them out when you get the opportunity.
Keep track of your bills and rent
A short but vital tip is to keep an eye on what you are earning against what you are spending. One of the daunting aspects of moving away from home is not necessarily having your parents to fall back on if you run out of money. This aspect is made comfortable if you remain organised: break down your outgoings, whether it be rent/various bills/tax, then total it to work out how much money you will need at the end of each month. This may seem like a great ordeal but it really is not and eventually you will get into the habit of doing so.
Get to know people
Getting to know people sounds like a point of common sense and this will happen naturally through completing an apprenticeship or working each day. However, there is something to be said for knowing people nearby. Upon moving in, take the small amount of time to introduce yourself to people in your area. You don’t have to be the closest of friends but it is always nice to see a familiar face, just as you would with living at home.
Be house proud
Students and people my age typically struggle with keeping things tidy, especially when there are no parents around to clear up the mess. Admittedly, I was most apprehensive about this issue before moving away, yet have been pleasantly surprised with how I have got on - so far anyway. The main thing I would stress is just making a conscious effort at all times. Your place doesn’t have to be spotless, but just be aware of cleaning regularly and stopping situations from getting out of hand.