People grow up and learn a lot about themselves during their college experience. Even just the first year can change a person drastically.

Personally, I became a much more independent person. I went from fearing being on my own to completely embracing it.

That’s why I decided to sublease an apartment this summer.

Not to mention, I’ve spent pretty much every summer of my life in my hometown of Kalamazoo and while it’s certainly not a terrible place, I’m over it. There was really no pressing reason for me to spend yet another summer home.

After scouring through sublease deals, I finally found a place that was perfect in terms of price, range and location.

As the spring semester was coming to a close, I was gradually moving my things into my new apartment, enlisting the help of my friends along the way.

Finally, I turned my dorm keys into the front desk and kissed my beloved dorm room goodbye.

Looking back, it’s safe to say the moving-in process was more overwhelming than I anticipated and I wasn’t exactly prepared.

Once I was done unpacking, I noticed my stomach growling. I walked into my kitchen to get something to eat. I realized I foolishly didn’t bring any food with me — a naive mistake.

Despite that, things have been pretty good at my apartment so far. I’m all settled in, I get along well with my new roommate and I don’t think we’ll be running out of food anytime soon, which is honestly my biggest fear.

If you’re subleasing this summer or considering it as a possible option sometime in the future, allow me to offer you some words of wisdom.

First of all, always buy more food than you think you’ll need. If you’re anything like me, you’ll go through it much faster than you anticipate.

Secondly, don’t wait around hoping your room will magically get set up on its own. Moving into a new space and setting it up is always stressful in the beginning. The best thing you can do is put something somewhere and then work around it, you can always move it if you end up changing your mind.

And finally, take a trip to Ikea a few months before you move in.

I promise you, they will have literally everything you could ever need for a decent price.

I would definitely recommend more freshmen take advantage of all the summer subleasing opportunities. I’ll be returning to the dorms this upcoming fall, but so far it’s been a great way to see what it’s like to live independently. When I decide to permanently live on my own, I’ll be much more prepared for that new experience.

Leslie Hemenway is The State News East Lansing reporter. Reach her at lhemenway@statenews.com.