Teens forced to depend on themselves when moving out early

  When wanting to move out or leave early, most teens do not realize what they are really asking for. They do not consider how expensive and stressful it can potentially become.

  Most teens come to the false conclusion that living on their own may be easy. However they tend to disregard just how much they were taken care of throughout their childhood. Going from depending on people their whole lives to depending on themselves needs to be an adjustment that is thoroughly thought out.

“Stay at home with your parents as long as you can because in just 5 seconds, everything could change and you are forced to leave before you are ready. Your parents love you. But if things are so bad you have to leave, make sure you have an airtight plan. It’s not something I recommend, it might seem all fun but it hard. School doesn’t prepare you for some real life things so you don’t need to be trying to juggle school, work, and figuring out how your going to pay bills and still have gas to make it to payday,” junior Savannah Goyette said.

  For the population of students who lacked the traditional proper care, transition into an adult lifestyle may occur more easily. The amount of responsibilities and expenses are not expected, or really thought about at all.

   The routine set in place for adulthood can be hard to follow and extremely time-consuming.

   “I get up at 7 a.m., get ready for school, go to school, go to CTC, then I go straight to McDonalds where I work. I normally work until 1 a.m. or 10 p.m. Then I go home, feed my animals, take a shower and go to bed. Then I do it all over again basically every day,” Goyette said.

 Goyette is aiming to get her CNA. She has kept the same job since last year and she feels like she is getting somewhere in her life.

  Money is extremely important – as is paying close attention to how to spend it. This results in teens who live on their own to prioritize on more important financial decisions.

   “I literally never have money. I get paid and, boom, bills. Then I’m broke the next day,” Goyette said.

  Finding a place to rent can be extremely taxing. Most residences won’t rent to potential residents unless they are 18 or older. Most of the time, it’s because of a lack of credit references due to high schoolers typically never owning their own place. Renters may also stereotype a high school kid to be “immature” or a liability to their property.

  However, these cons can easily be overcome with the right preparation and help.

  Ironically enough, the teenagers wanting to move out before they finish high school are recommended not to do so by the teenagers who already have.

 Senior Jessie Andrews has had a mostly positive experience moving out on his own early. He said he was surprised that it was not as hard as he thought. He is focused on finishing high school and working full-time as part of the carpenter’s union. However, he does not recommend moving out early if a student can avoid it.

  “Pros; I make the rules now. Cons; things can be difficult on your own,” Andrews said.

  Balancing both the pros with the cons of living life alone as a teenager will help with personal growth, achievement and gain.