Moving away to college can be exciting, but it can also be nostalgic for both your family and yourself. You’ll still go back for holidays and to visit, but it won’t be the same thing. If you want your make your dorm feel like home, here are 5 tips that’ll do just that.
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might know that I’m 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
You’re moving away from your home, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to walk out the door and never go back. It’s still with you, and you’ll 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 you’re 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 doesn’t 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? That’s all yours. Load up on candles, if they’re allowed on your campus… 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
Let’s be real, us, college students tend to eat so unhealthy most of the time. It’s not something we often think about. But really, how often do you eat takeout meals when you’re at your family home? I guess not as many as you do when living alone… 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 you’re a first year you’ll probably be eating at the dining hall and watch out, because the freshmen 15 is real. And I know most dorms don’t have a kitchen, but if yours does, cooking and meal prepping is the best thing you can do. And if you won’t have a meal plan this semester, here is a guide to survive without it.
Roommies
If you don’t get along with your roommates, going to your dorm/apartment can be tedious sometimes. And believe me, I’ve heard so many roommate horror stories, and that’s the last thing you want to happen to you. Make an effort and take the time to get to know your roommates, you’ll 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, it’s like having a sibling. Yes, you might argue sometimes, you might be lazy together and you might also party together, they’ll 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 that’s no excuse for not calling your family. Besides, if you want your new place to feel like home, then what’s 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. It’s intimate in a way a text never can, and will close that gap between you and your family right up. I’m 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, I’d love to hear it!
Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!