When I started college, I eased into the process. I lived at home for the first year, then moved out starting my second year. I thought I was prepared, and even if I didn’t feel prepared I didn’t know what I should or could do to make life easier. It was my first time moving out and being “responsible” on my own. My bills were minimal and although I thought I was a big kid – I realize now that it was only the beginning of big-kid-responsibility time.
Truth is, when I was moving out I wish I had been given advice on what good habits to develop and what things to stay away from. There is one thing I wish I would have done the day I moved out. There is one thing that would have made my nomadic life incredibly easier. So to every new college-child – my #1 recommendation would be to:
GET A P.O. BOX!!
I’m not kidding.
Here are the reasons I feel this is incredibly important:
1. Permanent Address. When you’re a college Freshman (or even Sophomore, in my case) you tend to live in several different places. The dorm > a sorority/fraternity > an apartment > then a hosue > possibly back home > back to a house/apartment. This nomadic lifestyle needs a stable mailing address.
2. Parents. Parents read your mail. They open it up and decide whether or not it is important/relevant and thus decide whether or not you should see this piece of mail. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN. Trust me. It sucks.
3. Anonymity. Data theft is prevalent now more than ever. Providing a P.O. Box Number instead of a physical home address number makes me feel slightly more safe knowing that if someone stole my information, tracking me down would be more difficult than if I posted:
Ashley Cray
555 RobMeNow Rd.
Reno, NV
If it were me, I would have gotten a PO Box immediately after moving out of my parents house. Just my opinion!
Ashley Cray 