The caregiving jobs would involve living at the residence of someone, who needs help with everyday things. Not things that involve medical assistance, they involve helping with light cleaning like a little dusting or tidying up and with meal preparation...mostly it just involves being there to help and keep a disabled person company. They don't pay very well usually BUT the benefits of not having to pay rent or utilities or for food usually outweigh the wage issue for a young person just starting out. A job like that could give you the opportunity to save a lot of money and to work on getting your credit established, not to mention that if you live where you work you save tons on gas and wear and tear on your car.
I've known of a lot of college students that take on live in positions helping the elderly and they have said that it really helped them. While other students were only caring for themselves, these people felt fortunate that they had someone else to watch over since it taught them responsibility while not wasting their time on partying and other foolishness. One girl in particular lived with a family for three years that had a disabled relative. When she graduated she had actually saved up money!
That would definitely be something for you to look into instead of just jumping out into your own place where you have to worry constantly about making the rent and paying for shampoo and toothpaste. Living on your own is so incredibly expensive! Trust me, I was so dirt poor when I was your age, it was such a struggle to survive (and it still is...)
