Moving away to college can be exciting, but it can also be nostalgic for both your family and yourself. Youβll still go back for holidays and to visit, but it wonβt be the same thing. If you want your make your dorm feel like home, here are 5 tips thatβll do just that.
If youβve been following my blog for a while, you might know that Iβm an international student. So, moving away from to college was even harder for me. I was moving to a new city on the other side of the world. Even though, I was really excited for this new phase of my life, I also knew I was going to miss home (a lot). So, here are a couple things I did to make my dorm feel homier. The thing that helped the most was definitely my gallery wall. I hanged a bunch of pictures of my friends and family up there and also some paintings I made myself. Just looking at those made me feel more at home.
Bring Home With You
Youβre moving away from your home, but that doesnβt mean youβre going to walk out the door and never go back. Itβs still with you, and youβll be back all the time anyway. You can incorporate a touch of your home into your new living space by bringing your favorite pictures, blankets, lights, and anything else that will serve as a reminder of your usual digs. Some people see going away to college as the chance for a completely fresh start, but if youβre one of those people who wants to stay in touch with their home, then packing a few home comforts into your luggage is a good idea. Decorating your dorm room is probably one of the most exciting parts of going to college, so here are some tips and some inspiration.
Related: Ultimate College Packing List
Get Comfortable
Sure, college can be a time of partying and sitting around in less than clean dorms, but it doesnβt have to be. If you want your dorm room to feel homey, you need to find ways to make it comfortable. To make it a place where you feel good. Everything beyond your dorm might be beyond your control, but in there? Thatβs all yours. Load up on candles, if theyβre allowed on your campusβ¦ Look at getting extra cosy blankets and maybe get a robe? Get twinkle lights. Get that dorm-room lighting just right. All in all, make the space entirely livable, a relaxing retreat from the rest of that crazy college life.
Cook & Clean
Letβs be real, us, college students tend to eat so unhealthy most of the time. Itβs not something we often think about. But really, how often do you eat takeout meals when youβre at your family home? I guess not as many as you do when living aloneβ¦Β If you want your new dorm or apartment to feel like home, then bring some of the standards from your usual home with you. Keep things tidy, learn to cook simple meals, and so on. If youβre a first year youβll probably be eating at the dining hall and watch out, because the freshmen 15 is real. And I know most dorms donβt have a kitchen, but if yours does, cooking and meal prepping is the best thing you can do. And if you wonβt have a meal plan this semester, here is a guide to survive without it.
Roommies
If you donβt get along with your roommates, going to your dorm/apartment can be tedious sometimes. And believe me, Iβve heard so many roommate horror stories, and thatβs the last thing you want to happen to you. Make an effort and take the time to get to know your roommates, youβll be giving yourself an opportunity to form relationships that may be the next best thing to having your real family around you. Getting along with your roommate has so many benefits, itβs like having a sibling. Yes, you might argue sometimes, you might be lazy together and you might also party together, theyβll be there to support you through difficult times and you will support them and help them too.
Talk to your family
I know college can get busy real fast, but thatβs no excuse for not calling your family. Besides, if you want your new place to feel like home, then whatβs better than calling your family a couple times a week or more?
Another thing you could is writing letters. Just take a piece of paper and a pen, and write a letter to your family. Itβs intimate in a way a text never can, and will close that gap between you and your family right up. Iβm personally not a big fan of writing letters, but some friends always do it and they love it, so give it a try.
Those are some ideas you can use to make your dorm room or new place feel more like home. Let me know if you have any other idea, Iβd love to hear it!
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