This year, many of you will be moving away from home to pursue a degree at a university located in a different city or even province. Yep, you’re leaving the nest, and are cherishing the idea of finally living on your own. Awesome.
It’s true, digs life has much to offer those looking for a good helping of freedom, and there’s no doubt you’ll have great times with your digs mates. But there are definitely some things you should know before moving into a communal living situation.
The must-knows
- One morning you will wake up, get out of bed, and still half asleep, find strange people sleeping in your house. You’ll ask yourself how these foreign objects landed up on the couch, but alas, no one will know. It’s always a good idea to clean up (and sanitise) once they’re gone…
- The digs faerie will plant used coffee mugs in every nook and cranny she can find. If she likes you, she’s sure to grow some mould in them first.
- At some point, someone who lives with you will break something of yours. To boot, it most often isn’t something small. When it does inevitably happen, see it as an opportunity to learn how to keep your temper in check and accept an apology if it is offered.
- The hot water isn’t working? I won’t mince my words: your landlord won’t care. If you don’t call several times, broken things don’t get fixed. And to make matters worse, when items are fixed, they often don’t get fixed properly!
- One day you’ll be on campus and see your amigo. Then it’ll dawn on you; he/she’s wearing those new Levi’s of YOURS. Don’t fret, at some point, you’ll get stuck into their closet too.
- The last warning on our list is probably the most important. Keep spare toilet paper. OK, it’s obvious why this is a good idea, and if you don’t do it, the universe will catch you out one day. It’s a law of nature, and you DON’T want to tempt fate.
If you’re up for the challenges of digs life, embrace your new living circumstances with a big smile: some of those digs mates may well end up being lifelong friends, and even if they don’t, you’re bound to have a blast with them while it lasts.
Most importantly, you’ll be learning vital lessons that aren’t taught in classrooms.
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