Beneath the preconceived ideas of an idyllic studenthood away from home lies the hidden truth that, for many, the price of autonomy may be too high.
“Empty fridge, empty stomach” by Rebecca Augerau via Flickr under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
FREEDOM, independence, a jam packed social calendar and quaint coffee catch-ups between classes. So goes the rosy hued narrative of student life after moving out.
But for a growing number of Melbourne students, hunger pangs may be something to get used to.
A study published by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research found food insecurity to be on the rise amongst students between 18-25.
The study, which used data provided by a Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey of 2000 students, found cash-strapped students regularly skip meals, and states “nest-leavers” are in danger of concerning nutritional inadequacies.
After moving out of home last year, Claudia Payet, 21, found herself “broke” and “living off people’s kindness”.
“I’m hypoglycemic as well, so being unable to eat properly or at all made me really unwell. When I got the flu, I had it for 5 weeks—no work, no study, just sickness and because of that I am repeating classes this year.”
Claudia’s experience is not unique. After six months of juggling full-time study and the after-hours waiteressing job she had to take on to cover her rent and living expenses, Mary Keady, 21, decided to move back home.
“I was pushing myself to work almost every evening after classes. I’d drive back exhausted, late at night, only to do it all again the next day”, she said.
“At home I didn’t have to worry about food… but suddenly I had barely enough cash left over for groceries after paying for rent, bills, fuel and my phone plan. It was a bad time. I didn’t feel good about myself at all. ”
Jesse Heath, 24, found some guidance online from empathic student cooking blogs like Full Thyme Student, The Hungry Student and Beyond Baked Beans.
Jesse said he “scoured the internet” for information and recipes to help him eat nutritiously on a tight budget since the increased study load of his master’s degree greatly reduced the number of hours he could work each week.
“The biggest help came from a few websites dedicated to cooking once a week or once a month and freezing the meals so they only need to be cooked or reheated.”
Jesse counts himself “incredibly lucky” to be eating the way he does, especially having heard “horror stories” from friends who, when faced with crippling bills, find food to be the first luxury they negotiate.
If you are struggling to make ends meet, please consider these free services:
Melbourne Youth Support Services (MYSS)
RMIT Student Health Services
Headspace (National Youth Mental Health Foundation)
