Sorry Mom and Dad, I'm Not Moving Out Yet.
Sorry not sorry Mom and Dad but, I’m staying right upstairs for three more years. (Love you, mean it.) This is actually ironic because for the longest time, I wanted to move out SO bad. Then I came to the realization that I would have to pay rent, live with a roommate (or two) and be completely on my own. Furthermore, rent can be SO expensive, especially in Richmond too. And, if we’re being completely honest, I’m not ready…for any of that. I rather not struggle to pay rent, go to school full-time, work and lose out on my social life. I rather not share a space with someone and I’m definitely NOT ready to be completely on my own. I also wouldn’t just being paying rent, I would have to buy my own groceries along with pay for gas and pay my phone bill. My savings skills are trash so your girl would be struggling.
Though I am very independent and mature, I also know that adulting isn’t easy. I now have this mentality that if I don’t have to experience the complete hardships of being on my own until I have too, I’m going to make sure I won’t by staying right at home. Many students believe that by living closer to or on campus helps with getting involved on campus and making friends. This is true in some cases, but in mine I don’t believe it is. VCU honestly does a wonderful job with letting their students know what is going on on campus. They send out weekly and daily emails about events on campus and they also have a complete website with every club and clubs information on it. In my opinion, the students on campus are willing to help anyone and super welcoming. It’s truly easy to make friends and get invited to events and parties especially if you really put yourself out there and speak to people.
The main reason I’ve decided not to move out until I graduate is because I plan to take a year off before I either start graduate school or work a full-time job to take a Gap Year. With that being said, all the money I make over the next few years will be going towards travel expenses and fun adventures. I want to use this year to travel, work, figure out what I want to really do and where I want to live. My Gap Year will have a purpose and I really believe taking one after I graduate undergraduate school is definitely the best time to take it for three reasons.
First, I will already have a degree meaning. I don’t have to worry about finding a job for decent pay. I have expensive taste (yet no money) and will want to live an expensive lifestyle which means I would need to make more money eventually. Seriously who knows what I would be doing if I taken one earlier. If I had taken it after high school, I might have possibly decided not to attend college. After watching many youtube videos about people who have taken gap years, many of them decided that they did not want to go back to school. Some eventually went back but it took them two or three “Gap Years” before they started college. I’m not knocking anyone who decides college isn’t for them nor goes to college right out of high school. In fact I know for a fact I would have done the exact same thing but I’m thankful I didn’t.
Second, I will be way more mature and have a better understanding of how to use my money wisely and the world around me. Like I said earlier, my savings skills...trash. I honestly suck at saving but I’m really working on my bad habits. I used to always say i wanted to go places and have adventures but have no money to finance it all. I’m learning how to budget my money and save my money, it’s hard but I will soon know how to. What I mean by being more mature and having a better understanding of the world is that, I now have been exposed to different types of people with different views, beliefs and, backgrounds than me. I had never experienced it before and it taught me a lot about myself and others. Now, you can definitely learn those lessons when taking a Gap Year but, I know I would not have because I would still have been home.
Lastly, I am young, I don’t have responsibilities; this is the time to for me to experience the world without being tied down to a job or kids, and live for myself. I’ve wanted to travel my entire life and I think that year will be a good time for me really do it. The main goal of a Gap Year is to give it a purpose and enhance my future career. I plan to use mine to for a myriad reasons, what about you?
Love always,
NKT.
P.S. I’ve decided to change the way I’m blogging. I would love to blog every week but, we all know life gets busy. Ta-Ta for now!
