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IB life if you're not living at home


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Hi!

 

I will start the "real" IB in a couple of weeks (have been in PDP the past year) and I don't live at home with my parents, so I have to cook everyday, wash, clean, shop etc while I have homework, tests etc.

 

The past year have been manageable, but I want to have some tips since it probably will be a lot of studying during these years!

 

 

 

Does anyone have the same experience and/or any tips?? Both about how to be efficient with cleaning, cooking etc and how to manage all the things to do :)

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Not quite the same as you, but I did the IB at boarding school, so while I didn't have to worry about cooking and grocery shopping, I did handle my own laundry and schecule and such.

 

My advice to you is to carve out 2-3 hours every day for your school work and plan your day with the firm knowledge that those 2-3 hours are off-limits to any of your daily chores. Then, of course, you've got to motivate yourself to be conscientious during that time as well. Succeeding in the IB takes only regular and consistent work.

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I'm not in IB anymore but I live on my own now (well with a roommate) but here's some advice for doing adult things like cooking, cleaning, etc. while still going to school:

 

Cooking: I love cooking and make sure I do as much of it as I can. Preparing a delicious, healthy meal (because eating junk food and processed stuff isn't good for you and won't make you feel as good) should not take you more than 30 minutes tops unless you want to go all out and spend two-three hours making something. And you can do homework during this time if you need to let your food cook or bake. My advice is to learn how to make several different breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that are easy and don't require too much. My staples are rice and beans, pasta, and chicken dishes, but it's very easy to make other things if you learn. I go shopping for groceries about once a week and get things like bread, fruits, vegetables that can be paired with lots of foods, eggs, milk, oatmeal, and yogurts. I don't spend more than like $35 USD per week and my food lasts me at least one week, often more if it's something that lasts a while. So get some basics, get some simple spices like pepper, salt, basil, oregano, and whatever else you like and just play around in the kitchen. That's how I learned.

 

If you need to you can plan out meals for the week and decide what you need to get from there. Start simple at first, and then you can make more complicated things to eat once you master those.

 

Washing: Simple. Just get decent dish soap and use hot water. Scrub off all the food/dirt, rinse in hot water, and let dry.

 

Cleaning: Don't let it pile up. Clean maybe once every week or two so it doesn't pile up. I try to clean my kitchen once every two weeks or so and this takes maybe 15 minutes, and this is much better than spending like two hours once a month cleaning up grease and whatnot. If you also clean as you go, it doesn't get that bad. If i make a spill, I'll wipe it up instead of letting it go.

 

Shopping: For groceries I go once a week and stock up for the week (like I described earlier). I make a list before I go so I know what I need to get and it reduces the urge to buy things that aren't on my list. If I need things like clothes I'll go to nearby stores and get them when I need them. I also do a lot of online shopping for things that are harder to get. My favorite site is Amazon but there are other places as well.

 

I can do all this and still pass my classes/do homework. It sounds like a lot but it really isn't!

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Agreeing with Emmi and Arrowhead. 

 

Just to add on the subject of eating well and cheaply  -- there are tons of good, easy-to-make, healthy cooking tips online. You know Jamie Oliver's quick and easy meals and I often use Allrecipes, which has great additional tips from users who help improve the end-result. You got to eat well and good meals make a difference to your mood and ability to study. Don't cut corners here. 

 

Food bills are usually really high. Just a few simple items can easily cost you 30 euros. I imagine it is similar in Sweden. So making large portions of simple and delicious dishes with a few, basic ingredients will make a considerable difference to your health and budget. 

Edited by Blackcurrant
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