School is almost out for the year, and if you are a graduating student, you may be looking to move from the dorms into an apartment, which will be the next step in your independence and that will also provide you with more privacy. Living in a dorm is very different from living in an apartment. In a dorm, you don't have to worry about a lot of the same house chores like cleaning your bathroom, cooking meals, or shopping for groceries or  essential furniture and supplies for your living space.

When you move to your first apartment, you will have to bear many responsibilities that you may not have experienced in a dorm. You will become more responsible for many things that will define life change from living in a dorm as a college student to living in an apartment with a new career.

As a new apartment tenant, you will suddenly experience a different lifestyle, as you start a new job and take on new responsibilities. Since this may be your first time living in an apartment, you may have to adjust to truly being on your own. Moving to an apartment from a dorm can be more fun and exciting as it allows you to have more freedom, although with many added responsibilities. So, when you shift your living conditions from your last dorm to your first apartment, here are some of the things that you can expect.

Apartment living costs

When you move from a dorm to an apartment, you are going to be responsible for the maintenance, cleanliness, and monthly apartment expenses that you probably haven't experienced while living in a dorm. The things that you may experience living in an apartment can sometimes be a little overwhelming.

The first thing to consider is the rent. Depending on the unit, the average rent of an apartment can be significantly more than the cost of a dorm room. When you accept a roommate or two, you can benefit financially by a few hundred dollars a month, which can at least lower your monthly expenses on rent. When you live in an apartment, you're probably expecting that the biggest expenses outside of rent will be the utilities that you never had to pay for in the dorm, such as cable, internet, electricity, water, and trash.

You can also expect additional monthly costs in an apartment like gas, renters insurance, pet fees, parking, storage, security and a gym membership. These extra expenses can add up to several hundred dollars more in a month very quickly.

Food shopping

Budgeting for, purchasing food and meal preparation is one of the most challenging things to handle when you live in an apartment. When you live in a dorm, you don't need to do the shopping and budgeting. Students living in a dorm usually eat in the dining halls on campus.. They pop into a dining hall, pay the cashier, and take the food. During the days the cafeteria is closed, ramen and hot plate snacks are a good treat.

Now, the apartment you live in does not offer a dining hall and meal plan. You have to take charge of your food shopping and preparation. Obviously, in apartment living, you can't eat prepared meals three times a day, so you'll be obliged to make adjustments, do some food shopping, and prepare your meal.

Adult responsibilities

The benefits you have enjoyed of having someone there to clean the bathrooms and main living spaces in a dorm building was great. Study rooms, common areas, and bathrooms are always tidied up by university staff, that you don't even know is happening behind the scenes.

Now, you are responsible for all those tasks yourself. If you don't know where to start, you can always ask Google for what cleaning supplies you should buy, and how to clean your bathroom and kitchen correctly. And set a regular cleaning schedule to make sure that your living space doesn’t get so dirty that it’s hard to get the space back in order.

You also need to take extra care to stay safe in your living space. Be sure to double-check the door locks before going to sleep. Make sure exterior lights are working correctly. Make sure that you also have smoke alarms and test them regularly to make sure they are working properly.

Apartment fun

Living on your own in a Branson apartment should be fun and provide you a fantastic experience. One of the benefits of living in your apartment is that you can decorate your space any way you want. In the dorm, you are restricted from some décor and from what you can hang on your walls. But in your apartment, you can let your creativity go wild, both with your furniture choice and placement and what you want to decorate on your walls. Just check your lease to make sure you are still within the guidelines of the landlord.

If you are ready to move from a dorm into a Branson apartment, contact Thousand Hills Realty at (417) 337-8081. We are the premier property management company in the Branson area and we would love the opportunity to help you make the transition. Call us today!