A Letter From a 23-Year-Old Searching for an Apartment

Dear Pacers,

If you don’t have a credit card open one yesterday, and then never use it. If you find yourself wanting to build credit, only use the credit card for gas and pay it off every time. If you live with your parents and have the money, buy kitchen utensils and home goods, then hide them in your closet for when you move out. Save, save, scrimp and save some more. Live later, or you’ll regret it!

Things to do:

• ·Pay off your car

• Have a well-paying job

• Be in school

• Live below your means

• Buy used

• Have a side hustle

• Save your tax return (if you have a tax return)

• Make sure to apply for scholarships

While working your two jobs

• Apply for a better third job

• Do an internship so you’re worth something

You’ve probably heard enough about how hard it is to find a place to stay. These were tips that I followed to the tee and still ended up in a sort of limbo. I live in the dorms, I’m 23 and I’m not done with school yet.

I needed time to build up the funds to attend college in the first place.

I just want to let you feel normal for a second. You’re not crazy, you are looking hard enough, you are working hard enough. You didn’t do everything wrong. Aiken is improving more and more in regards to employment and recreation, but it was not built to support this many young people starting their lives.

Think about what Aiken is famous for: Horse races, Masters Week and retirement. In short, tourism. Aiken has glamour at certain times of the year, and I love it. There was a time in my life when all I wanted to do was leave this place, but now I kind of see why people stay. It’s beautiful.

However, as a lifelong Aikinite, I still get the itch to explore elsewhere. Especially when it comes to renting.

Living.

I’ve quickly learned that people settle here, they usually don’t start here. We have so many great opportunities in Aiken that are impossible to overlook (ahem SRS). However, if you can’t manage to find a job after weeks or months of searching remind yourself where you are.

You’re not in a city, we don’t exactly have the most pronounced business district and those who are currently in entry-level to mid-level positions are holding tight to their jobs. A recent potential employee with an undergraduate degree and some work experience has a tough road ahead of them.

This letter is not to scare you, but it’s a reminder to let yourself breathe because no one else will. Your family might give you a hard time but know how unlevel the playing field was from the beginning. Starting your adult life in this economy is not easy, it never was easy, and never will be easy.

If articles are trending for “life hacks” to make necessities such as food, clothing and nearly everything else stretch or, if you see those who once advocated for your college education spinning on their heels now telling you “It’s not worth it, get a trade,” because they want you in the workforce ASAP...

It’s a sign that a lot of people need to save money and make money. Not just you. Ask yourself how much more you can cut out to “live below your needs” until you are left with nothing.

Dear reader, dear Pacers,

As students, as young adults, and as future professionals you deserve more for the education you have received here. Just because you are young does not mean you inherently deserve less. You deserve affordable housing and you deserve to find a job after lengthy job searches. You deserve to not have a spike in cortisol when you google the average cost of rent in your area.

I just wanted to let you know that you could do everything you were supposed to and still end up struggling, behind, or in a bind.

As 20 somethings you’d be blind if you didn’t see a headline calling our generation lazy. I don’t believe those journalists have been around the students on a USCA campus.

Pacers, you are doing a good job!