It’s exciting going off to take TAFE* courses, notably as it marks the beginning of a new chapter in your life. However, it can all be quite daunting if it involves you moving out of your parental home for the first time. While TAFE* learning is typically much shorter than a university degree, it's still long enough away for you to need to learn to live independently.
Is Moving Out For The First Time Hard?
Of course, it's a big wrench. You might be keen to break loose those apron strings, but there's often a lot of emotion and heartache to the process. Having done many things for you your whole life, you've now got to lean on your knowledge and interpersonal skills. From balancing your finances to cooking, you must learn to care for yourself.
How Do I Cope With Leaving Home For The First Time?
It may not be easy to make leaving home for TAFE* college completely painless, but there’s much you can do to prepare yourself for independent living. So, come with us now as we look at some of the ways you can do just that and head off to this new chapter in your journey.
Make A Moveout List & Check It Twice!
Ok, so it might not be Christmas, but this bit of advice certainly applies here. There's a lot you've got to think about in preparation for further learning, so it's wise to keep a list of everything you need to do. You may think you've got a handle on everything without one, but it's so easy to forget something important - so keep a definitive checklist on paper or on your phone to ensure everything's covered.
Get Some Money Behind You:
If there's one thing you need plenty of when you're at TAFE* College, it’s money. From rent to college books to food, there's a lot that you'll need to pay for, so if you have time, try and build up some savings - or, at the very least, some just-in-case money. Of course, like many, you could get a part-time job to supplement your lifestyle, but some savings will provide you with some breathing space.
Get Familiar With the Area Around Campus:
Something that will help you acclimatise to your new surroundings much more quickly is to check out the local area around campus. Finding out where all the grocery stores, local nightlife, bus stops and parks are will create a soft landing for yourself, so you don't feel like a fish out of water when you arrive. The better you know the local area, the more at home you'll feel.
Get Renters Insurance:
If you're not living in student accommodation on campus, the likelihood is that you're going to be renting privately. As such, it's important that you get yourself some renter’s insurance to protect you in case of any trouble you might have with your landlord. This kind of cover will protect your belongings and offer liability protection for any damage that occurs to your housing while you’re there.
Get Your Utilities Set Up Ahead of Time:
In the weeks leading up to starting your TAFE* courses, you should be sure to set up your utilities at your rented accommodation (if that's your route). Water, internet, electricity and gas accounts take time to set up, so if you leave it until you arrive, you'll end up having to wait days for basic utilities to be set up. Once you have your student housing address in your possession, you should get to work and contact all the relevant suppliers.
Prepare For Your TAFE Study With OCA Short Courses Online:
There's certainly a lot of prep involved in starting TAFE education, and another great way to build a platform for academic success is to take video-based CPD-Endorsed short courses online. Able to provide you with great foundational knowledge, our course content is created with the help of top industry experts - meaning that it's always relevant.
We offer a next-level learning experience that makes learning easy and enjoyable - something you can find out more about by watching our Student Study Demo. Check out our full online learning library that covers more than 20 different professional sectors by visiting us today at www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au. You'll find flexible payment plans and details of how every student gets 1-to-1 mentoring support there.
Our students tell us that we offer the best online courses Australia has to offer, but you don’t have to take their word for it - why not try it yourself? To speak to us directly about enrolment, call 1300 611 404 or email support@onlinecourses.com.au, and we’ll reply without delay.
*What is a TAFE?
TAFE stands for “Technical and Further Education”. TAFE institutes are government-funded Registered Training Organisations (RTO's) that offer Vocational Education and Training relating to a specific industry or occupation.
TAFE Alternatives
Other private (non-government funded RTOs) offer accredited courses (just like TAFE).
Although Online Courses Australia is NOT an RTO, OCA has partnered with a few RTOs to offer RPL or CREDIT from selective Micro-Credentials towards RTO (accredited) courses. Look out for Accelerated Learning Pathway on our website.
For example:
OCA's Vet Assistant Bundle, a Micro-Credential course bundle, also provides 40% credit (RPL) toward the Nationally Recognised ACM30122 Certificate III in Animal Care Services with our partner RTO 2875.
