SOME say moving out of home as a young adult is like emerging from a chrysalis, spreading your wings and soaring into a boundless horizon. Others liken it to setting sail on your first solo voyage.

For me, moving out of my home in Kuala Lumpur to live in my residential college in Perak last August felt like stepping onto a tightrope. The thought of entering a new chapter of independence filled me with excitement, but little did I know that the journey would teach me several lessons – the hard way.

To begin with, financial management was something I had never dealt with before.

Although my college provides three main meals and laundry services, any snacks or extras have to come out of my own pocket.

With a fixed monthly allowance, I quickly discovered that my habit of buying snacks whenever I felt hungry was shockingly expensive and unsustainable.

This wake-up call to focus on necessities rather than wants motivated me to create a digital spreadsheet to track my expenses, helping me to save and allocate my money more effectively.

Moreover, time management was a major struggle in the first few months.

College means longer class hours, as well as an abundance of sports and extracurricular activities.

Not wanting to miss out, I signed up for as many as possible. Less than a month in, I realised I was being stretched thin – my studies were affected, and I was preoccupied with activities that wouldn’t benefit me or my university applications at all.

At the end of the first semester, looking at my mediocre scores, I had to make a difficult decision: stay the course or limit myself to only relevant and advantageous extracurriculars. Choosing the latter freed up a lot of my time for productive studying.

Another lesson I learnt was the value of planning ahead.

I’ll admit that I’m not much of a long-term visualiser. At first, I packed as if I were going on a three-day camping trip, bringing only the bare essentials with the mindset of “I’ll just borrow it from someone else”.

When reality set in, I found that I had overlooked many important items, such as spare stationery, paper, an induction cooker, baskets, hangers, a rubbish bin, mops and brooms.

Thankfully, before I left, my parents insisted that I bring extra supplies I didn’t think I would need, which turned out to be lifesavers.

Barely escaping the consequences of my negligence taught me the importance of preparation and thorough forethought.

However, perhaps the most significant and difficult lesson to learn was responsibility.

Living alone means facing the consequences of my actions.

Lazy to clean my room? Skipped an important meal? Pulled an all-nighter? My parents are no longer around to nag me about taking care of my health and cleanliness.

This lack of discipline initially resulted in being late for class, feeling heavy-lidded and irritated, and attracting uninvited guests like cockroaches and ants at odd hours.

Eventually, I was motivated to develop greater discipline and adopt healthier habits, such as sleeping and eating regularly. These habits have served me well up to this day, and I hope they will continue to do so in the coming years as a tertiary student.

Overall, moving out was a transformative experience, forcing me to grow up and tackle real-world challenges on my own.

The thrill of newfound freedom from under my parents’ thumb was quickly tempered by the sobering weight of being responsible for all my choices and actions, and the uncertainty of my future.

I am grateful for the good friends who have supported me. Seeing them strive towards their goals and learning how they overcome challenges has motivated me to step out of my comfort zone and grow. Their encouragement and strength during tough times have helped me push through.

Last but not least, for those planning to move out after secondary school, here’s a word of caution.

Don’t give up the good habits you have been taught. Unhealthy changes in your lifestyle, sleeping hours and diet will only make the transition harder.

Be mindful of your spending – if you run out of money, there won’t always be someone to bail you out.

Surprisingly, homesickness is the last thing you will have to worry about, as you will be so busy that you won’t have much time to dwell on it.

Finally, don’t forget to stay in touch with your parents – they miss you more than you realise.

Serene, 17, a student in Perak, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team.

For updates on the BRATs programme, go to facebook.com/niebrats.

With the theme of the article in mind, carry out the following English language activities.

1 Imagine moving out of your home for college. apart from your wallet, mobile phone and laptop, what are your five must-bring items? rank these items from most to least important. Then, discuss your ranking with your friends and compare your choices.

2 Write a short letter to your future self, who has been living independently for six months. describe your expectations and hopes about moving out. use expressions like “I hope you will have learnt...”. read your letter aloud in class.

The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme promotes English language learning in primary and secondary schools nationwide.

For Star-NiE enquiries, email starnie@thestar.com.my.