There is a huge difference between living with your family and living on your own. You have a whole new set of responsibilities and expectations that you need to live up to. Not only will you need to somehow feed yourself and maintain a healthy lifestyle, you will need to provide your own transportation, do your own laundry, take out your own garbage, do your own dishes, and make your own appointments. There is no more babying once you decide to live on your own.

Keep Fit
A major concern for many first year students is gaining the “Freshman 15” — those dreaded extra pounds that seem to come hand in hand with late-night snack runs. After moving into residence, you are now in total control of what you consume, at what time you eat it, and how much food you put in your body. You won't have your mom by your side encouraging you to eat your vegetables or nagging you to stop snacking. This newly found freedom — plus a tight schedule, increased alcohol consumption and decreased sleep time — can result in weight gain. Not every student goes through this, of course; many people continue following their healthy habits.

The only way to avoid the Freshman 15 is to try to maintain a healthy diet and find time to exercise regularly. Try making some of your own meals instead of relying on purchased food. Avoid vending machines and overeating at social events.

Fanshawe has a great gym in J building and its membership fees are very reasonable — bring your workout gear to class and stop off there on the way back to your dorm. Bringing your clothes and running shoes with you will motivate you to put them to use.

Find Space
This may be your first time living away from your family, but you will still constantly be surrounded by people. More specifically, you will likely have a roommate. Getting along with your roommate is the key to living happily; you two will be sharing living space and you need to make the most of it. Try to get to know your roommate personally and invite him/her out places with you. The faster you bond, the more comfortable your living arrangements will be.

Be sure to keep your area clean, be respectful, learn to compromise and communicate, and be courteous of sleep and study time. Even if you don't become best friends, you still need to treat your roommate like a family member.

Study Time
For most people, living in residence for their first year of university is a fantastic experience. Yes, studying and schoolwork will be your number-one priority, but there will be time to let loose and have fun as well. If your hallway or room ever gets too loud due to parties or friends visiting, the library is a great place to get studying done. Everyone who goes to the library is there for peace and quiet, so it will be easy to focus and not get distracted.

Pack Smart
There are a few objects that people may not think to bring with them to residence:

- Flip-flops and a bathrobe come in very handy when you exit the shower and need to make your way back to your room.

- A personal fan or heater is great to have with you in your room (as long as you're permitted to have these things) for when the weather gets to the extremes.

- Small appliances like a kettle or a toaster are handy to have in your room, and will aid in keeping your food costs to a minimum.

- Individually packaged snacks like granola bars is a smart idea for times when you don't have time to get a full meal, and they are easy to store.

- Laundry baskets, detergents, and clothing hangers are necessities that are sometimes overlooked in the packing process.

- Earplugs and headphones are very useful at blocking out noise in your dorm, and will help prevent distractions.

- Room spray or Febreeze that both you and your roommate enjoy could be a good thing to have. There will be a lot of students coming in and out of the dorms and the air does not always smell the freshest, especially in the warmer summer months.

Study smart, eat right, and have a great year!