Posts published on September 8, 2016

How to Feel at Home in Your College Dorm

Oksana Sbitneva

One of the most widespread problems students encounter immediately after going to college is, however mundane and boring it may sound, homesickness. Getting far away from one’s habitual environment, probably for the first time in one’s life, turns out to be a much harder and more complicated ordeal than most would-be students want to believe. Nevertheless, it is true, and everything that helps battle it is a godsend. So, what can you do to make your college dorm more homey? Let’s find out.

1.    Turn Old Magazines into Wall Art

If you feel depressed by stark naked walls of your new room, a quick and dirty way to rectify this flaw is to go through your old magazines, cut out the pages that strike your fancy and attach them to the walls in as spectacular a fashion as you can manage. Without going to any great expense, it will immediately render your dorm a much more personalized and homey atmosphere.

2.    Throw Pillows

Students are usually given a fair amount of freedom in how they want to decorate their dorm rooms – which means that in most cases the only opposition you will have to deal with is going to come from your roommate. Try to recruit them to your cause, then, and turn your room into something that will feel like home for the both of you. Throw pillows are a good way to start – they are relatively simple to make on your own, immediately lend the room a cozy feel and can be made to create any style you want.

3.    Add Photos

Photos of your family, friends and loved ones are about as personal as one can get. Decorate your desk and walls around it with them, and you will immediately get a charge of energy whenever you glance at them while you are reading or studying for exams.

4.    Get Comfortable

You will never feel at home anywhere where you are physically uncomfortable. So make sure you are comfortable wherever you go! Make special effort to customize your sleeping space so that it is a just right combination of hard and soft. Place a rug near the bed – stepping on it in the morning can make all the difference between an institutional feeling and that of your old home. Go to an expense of buying a chair in which it will be comfortable to sit, study and read – after all, it is exactly what you are supposed to be doing in college.

5.    Buy a Plant

Add a little life to your dorm room by buying a plant of your choice and placing it in a conspicuous spot. It will add a touch of personality to the boring place and will give you something to take care of – an ideal way to get your mind off homesickness.

When all is said and done, it is your own choice whether to feel at home in your new dorm or get homesick. If you look into the future and are fascinated with your new station in life, nothing will be able to keep you down!

 

Bio:

Oksana is a  student of English literature department and a freelance journalist. As a current student she is interested in trends in education and she would like to share her experience with community.