Indepedent Students

Brittany Diemer
Staff Reporter

Teenagers view their high school years as the time they become independent. For most they are gaining independence through the ability to choose their schedules, getting a job, and driving a car. For select few at Rangeview though, they extend their independence by moving out of their parent’s house. Moving out is something that usually happens after graduation or even after college. With all the costs of living on your own many young adults find it hard to accept those responsibilities right away. For some teenagers like Nicole Rein and Bethany Robertson they felt the need to branch out of their parent’s house a lot sooner than most people their age.
Nicole Rein felt the need to move out of her mom’s house when she and her step dad were not getting along. “My mother's husband and I are always at ends, and I was essentially kicked out a few times starting when I was fourteen or fifteen,” Rein said. Her moving out was more than a need for independence but also something that needed to be done to make her life easier. She had been in and out of the house since she was a freshman but officially moved out last June. “We have a better relationship now that I'm on my own,” she said. Rein still speaks to her parents on a weekly basis and that seems to work better for them compared to when they were all under one roof.
Emancipation was something to consider when she first moved out, but something she never actually went through with. Rein commented on the topic and said, “It's a long, legal process. I was too intimidated by it to pursue it. By the time I finally got the guts, I was going to be 18 in three months, so it wasn't worth it.”
Currently she is living with a close friend in an apartment complex and in-between high school and community college she works at Lazar Quest to be able to provide for herself. Being an independent woman is not always easy though. Rein struggles for enough hours at work, but seems positive even when money is scarce. “Paying for things doesn't really bother me; it's ultimately my choice to be on my own, so I can handle the consequences. But, I have found some interesting ways to save money” she said. Some ways she saves some dough include turning down the heat, buying things in bulk, carpooling and renting her college textbooks. She also does her laundry at her grandma’s so she does not have to go to a Laundromat. “I basically just make a monthly budget, and cut corners wherever I can. I have to deliberately not drive by Starbucks, though, because I simply can't resist.”
Having a great deal on rent at her complex Rein spends about four hundred and fifty to five hundred dollars a month. It is never a fixed amount though. “It really depends on what cards I'm dealt that particular month, like if I get sick or if my car breaks down. It's expensive and takes sacrifice, which I think is the hardest concept for even some adults to grasp.” She said. For example Rein has recently had to have surgery for her sinuses which was three hundred dollars out of her own pocket. Her dad has her under his insurance but that does not cover all of her medical needs.
Though Nicole took a huge jump into adulthood before the rest of us she is doing really well. Taking on such big responsibilities so early in her life has probably prepared her better for the real world while the rest of us will still have to tear ourselves away from our parent’s protective hold eventually. “I would say the biggest difference between my peers and I is mentality. I have to worry about stressful things, like money, without having my parents as a safety net. I would like to think that it has made me more level-headed and mature.”
Another Rangeview student taking on adult responsibilities is Bethany Robertson. Unlike Rein, she never has actually lived with her real parents. Robertson was in foster care up until October when she moved out. Between arguments and getting kicked out she decided it was time to move out. Emancipation was not needed since she was already eighteen when she made the decision. For almost her whole senior year she has lived in a Studio Apartment by herself.
Robertson has a full schedule in between school and work. “If I’m not at school or lacrosse practice I’m at work,” she said. In order to provide for herself she has to get all the hours she can at work. She works at a burger and fries joint called 5 guys. When she does not get enough hours she really struggles. “I know lacrosse will be the first to go,” she said. She has her priorities in order and knows what a luxury is and what a must is. Her phone and being on lacrosse are the least important things for her. She also has little time and money for extracurricular activities and other typical teen activities.
With monthly bills and other expenses totaling nine hundred dollars she has to stay focused and remember what is important which in this case is her job. About half of the nine hundred she spends a month is just on rent for her apartment. The rest of it includes food, gas, insurance, phone bill, and internet bill. She says the thing that has helped her maintain this busy lifestyle is budgeting. Without having a budget her money she would struggle a lot more with handling her money and maintaining her living situation.
Teenagers like Nicole Rein and Bethany Robertson have stepped into adulthood sooner than their classmates. Considering both of their situations this was a decision that needed to be made, but at some costs. They have their independence but they have a lot of responsibilities that take away the glamour. Between school and work they are lucky to have time for other activities. In the long run though, they are going to be better off than the rest of us when it comes to facing the real world. They have experienced adult life and relying fully on themselves a lot sooner than the rest of us will. After high school some of us will move out, but many of us will continue to look to our parents to provide for us until after college. For students like Rein and Robertson they are ahead of us and better prepared for the future.