A Visit From OLS Alumni

Students sitting in class at OLS Bellevue CollegeThe Self-Determination course was treated to a visit from 2018 OLS Alumni Heather and Jahan who shared their experiences with independent living. Topics during the Q&A discussion included what it took to transition from living at home to sharing an apartment with a roommate, how they decided who does which chores, and how the rent and bills would be split.

To prepare for their visit, students prepared questions about independent living that were important to them.

Student Reflections:

One valuable take-away for me from the guest speakers today is:

  • Having a roommate. They could split the work each person could do to keep the apartment clean, and most important they can split the bill for the apartment between them.
  • That you need to plan in life to be successful in life

One thing about what it takes to live independently that I learned today is:

  • There are a lot of support services to help people living independently
  • Once you are living on your own, you are responsible for everything
  • It takes a lot of time and planning to be fully moved out of your parent’s into living independently
  • Don’t put things off and budget your money

For me, this is one part of living independently that is, or could be, a challenge for me:

  • Finding an affordable place to live
  • Not being able to rely on my parents all the time
  • Getting lonely
  • The biggest challenge right now for me, is cleaning, organizing, and keeping my apartment clean
  • Managing my money and mostly spending my money on specific needs that is more important

Self-Determination is one of the many courses OLS Students take to obtain their associate degree from OLS. More information about our curriculum is available on our website. To learn more about our program register for an Information Session.

Last Updated December 11, 2018