I am so grateful that I have been given a hand in life that others would give an arm and a leg for with an amazingly helpful and supportive family, but this has stumped my experience with things such as saving money, buying my own food, doing my own washing and silly things that may have been helpful to know. Living in a small town also doesn't give you a helping hand in learning what life is really like in the big bad world.
However, since August last year I have gained a great amount of experience and grown up an incredible amount. I made the move from my tiny rural town, population 2753, to Aberdeen, the third biggest city in Scotland, population 196,670.
This was a three and a half hour move, to a place all on my own (even if it is specifically for students) where I had to meet all new people and work out how to be a real grown up. It seems to have worked so far as I have learned to purchase enough food to last two weeks with five pounds, successfully work a washing machine (and dryer!) and I haven't gotten lost once!
Making Friends
Making friends is possibly the trickiest, and most important, part of moving somewhere totally new or starting at a new college or school. I have found that the key is to speak up, no matter how anxious, shy or nervous you are. I am not an overly confident person, but a few times I have found it in me to actually force myself to speak up and voice my opinion. If you overhear a conversation about something you're passionate about or interested in, make yourself speak and let them know what you think. I promise you, 9 times out of 10 this will not annoy the people as much as you think it will, and you'll probably just end up having a good conversation and find it much easier to engage with the same people next time. Also, don't be scared to invite yourself to things like lunch or drinks, I promise that no matter how pushy or intrusive you think you seem at first will melt away once they get to know the real you. My Mum always tells me to fake it until you make it, and I find this to be true in most aspects of life.
Money
This aspect of independent life is a work in progress! Luckily, I am entitled to a Student Loan which helps a great deal, and my work ethic is good due to past experience but it is tough making money last a whole month, especially as I am currently on the job hunt. The key is to get rid of any old habits in terms of brands or specific types - own brands and supermarket basic ranges are key, and I promise you do get used to the taste. Frozen food is also great (although there's not often much space in the freezer in shared accommodation) as it usually involves a multipack and lasts ages.
Finding a Job
Again, a work in progress for me, but I have previous experience in this field and the key is build up a positive, decent CV and apply for everything you can find. I find that Indeed.com or Gumtree are the best websites for finding jobs. The JobCentre can also offer good advice on CVs and what jobs are available.
The Community
The main thing for integrating and fitting into the community (and I do realise how corny the word community sounds, but I mean more along the lines of how to get involved in the city) is to find out what's going on that includes your interests, protests, rallies, markets, events anything and attending, even if it is on your own you can meet people out there. This point also ties in with the earlier point of making friends, and how inviting yourself along to different outings can show you new places and help you meet even more people.
So that's it - what I consider the most important parts about becoming independent and moving to a new city, and possibly the most challenging. I hope this post wasn't too boring and maybe helped out anyone moving to a new place.
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