Where Will You Live After Graduating?

One of the biggest transitions a person can make in life is finishing formal education, getting a full time job and surviving independently in the world.

For many people this is a very exciting period in their life. However it can also be a very daunting and challenging one, especially when it comes to financial matters.

To complicate things further, not all students who finish formal education get a job that is directly relevant to the qualifications they just obtained.

This can mean a delay before they are able to find an appropriate job, which means for a period of time they may not be earning very much money. 

Without money, trying to survive independently by yourself becomes even more difficult, and for some people, impossible.

The Stay At Home Graduate

As a result of difficulty in finding employment, an increasingly large number of young people are moving back home to live with their parents after graduating from college or university.

Some will continue to stay with their parents for many years, enjoying the security and comfort that it provides.

Of course this ultimately results in a prolonged dependency upon their parents, something which many hoped their hard earned qualifications would help them to escape.

A Golden Financial Opportunity

For those who do choose to stay at home with their parents after graduating, most of them will be in an extremely advantageous financial position as they will not have to pay rent. Or if they do, it will be a minimal amount in comparison to the rent they would pay elsewhere.

As a result of this extra money, many of these “stay at home grads” will spend their cash on the latest electronic equipment, clothes or perhaps a new car.

Whilst others may attempt to pay back any loans they took out to fund their education, or save their money for a down payment for a house of their own.

If this situation applies to you, where you have just finished some sort of formal education and are now living either rent free or virtually rent free with your  parents, and you have a part time job, it is extremely important to recognise the advantageous financial position you are in.

This is a position you may never be in again, so it is in your best interest to ensure you make the most of this opportunity for your sake and the sake of your future.

Of course not all graduates are living at home with their parents, as many go straight into some form of employment which allows them to live independently. 

For these people, becoming financially literate is perhaps even more important than for the stay at home grads, as they will have real world expenses to deal with which means they will have to use their money all that more wisely.

Living On Your Own

Living on your own is a different experience for everyone, as no two people are alike and so we all have our own expectations as to what living independently should be entail.

Some people for example prefer living as a group with other people. Some prefer living by themselves, some people like a clean house, whilst others don’t mind if its a mess.

There are many different ways people like to live, and it all depends on what sort of personality they have and their expectations of independent living.

So the key to living independently is to decide how you want to live, what is an acceptable living standard for you and then find a way to do it which you can afford.

For example, if you are living on your own but at the same time are worried because you don’t know if you will be able to cope financially, or you are feeling lonely, then living on your own might not be the ideal situation for you.

In this case, you might be able to reduce your worries or loneliness by finding a group of people to live with in a different accommodation. Or if you have the room, advertising for a room mate.

Likewise, if you are unhappy living with a large group of people then it might be time to move out on your own and find a new place to live.

Whatever you choose to do, it is important to recognise what you want and then find a way to live that way. As there is no point in living under conditions which you consider unacceptable or are unhappy with, if there is an option for you to do otherwise.