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14 Ways to Feel at Home in Your Student Dorm Room
By Guest Writer
Updated February 16, 2021 Updated February 16, 2021Guest post: Matthew Blake
Moving into new accommodation can be quite a daunting prospect, let alone relocating to a new area or even a different country! Here are 14 tips to help you feel at home in your student dorm room, no matter how far you’ve travelled...
1. Get to know your dorm room
It may sound strange, but spending some quality time ‘with’ your student dorm room and knowing exactly where things are, really helps you feel more comfortable. Having to search around for plug sockets and light switches, or realizing halfway through the year you don’t know how to open the window, isn’t exactly going to make you feel at home. Spend some time exploring every corner and making sure you know how everything works.
2. Unpack!
This is a must! If you just leave things in your suitcase and are constantly rummaging through it, you tend to feel like you’re always on holiday (even if the weather doesn’t match up to the experience) rather than settling down in your new accommodation. Knowing where everything goes and getting that suitcase out of sight will save you time and give you a sense of ‘room ownership’.
3. Keep it tidy
Some people like an ‘organized mess’, and that’s understandable. But generally a messy room can add more stress, especially when you need to make a quick exit to an important lecture or seminar. And for visitors’ sake… make sure moldy plates and overflowing laundry baskets are kept to a minimum! You want to be able to invite friends inside without embarrassment, right?
4. Rearrange the furniture
This is one of the most popular ways to feel at home in a new place. We asked international graduates from Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Austria, Latvia, and Norway (all staying in the UK) “what is the one thing that makes them feel at home in a new house?” – and rearranging their room to their taste came out on top. This could mean changing the position of your desk so you get more natural light, or moving the pillow to the other end of the bed – whatever feels right for you.
5. Play familiar music
This is the second most popular way of adjusting to a new room. Playing familiar music that reminds you of good times in the past will make you associate your student room with happy thoughts and memories. (It’s also great for drowning out any unwanted sounds from other rooms…!)
6. Decorate with photos from home
A great way to give your dorm room some personality is to put up photos from past socials, events, holidays and photos of family and friends from home. You will enjoy being in your room when reminiscing and thinking about the fun times yet to come.
7. Stock up on books
If you’re studying abroad and still trying to perfect your command of the local language, reading books will really help. 67% of international graduates said they felt settled within one month of moving into a new place and the majority felt having books in their room was essential.
8. Bring traditional items from home
Not forgetting your roots and embracing them is another key way to feel at home in a different environment. Having a few small traditional items from your home country can help achieve this. Maybe it’s a piece of traditional pottery, a good luck charm, or even just a box of those sweets you just can’t get anywhere else.
9. Keep in touch online
These days we have so many different ways to communicate, so it’s surprising that people can still manage to lose touch with one another! Use free online programs like Skype or Facetime (if you’re a Mac user) to keep in touch with family and friends back home. It’s great to schedule a quick call at least once a month, and using face to face video means you can show them around your place and even introduce them to your new friends!
10. Invite a new student friend over
A great way to wear-in your dorm room is by having other feet walk around it! When you introduce a friend to your place it instantly becomes really ‘your place’ and not just somewhere you happen to be staying.
11. Add personal touches – posters, lamps, pillows, etc
You may want to keep clutter to a minimum, but you shouldn’t live in a completely empty space. If there are no signs to show this student room belongs to you, then you probably won’t really feel at home. Students don’t always have stacks of money, so focus on furnishings that are useful but still personal – such as lamps, pillows, coasters etc.
12. Get comfortable in bed
If you’re not comfortable when you get into bed, throw it out! Ok, maybe don’t throw the whole thing out, but it’s definitely worth investing in comfortable duvets and bedding. After all, providing you with a good night’s sleep is one of your dorm room’s main responsibilities.
13. Make your room smell good
Make use of all your senses! Think about how powerful your sense of smell is; it’s a direct link to a memory (be it good or bad). Consider the aromas you enjoyed back home. Maybe having a few small pots of herbs or spices that remind you of home cooking will help you feel at home. Or perhaps you have a favorite scented candle or aromatherapy stick. Don’t underestimate the importance of the right aroma when you walk in the door.
14. Throw a student party
Last but not least, throw a ridiculous student party! (Or a sensible one, your choice.) Getting to know other students in your dorm or building, and introducing old friends to new friends, is a great way to feel at home and make a statement to yourself that you have officially moved in!
Matthew Blake is a recent graduate based in Leeds, UK, and was a Student Ambassador for his university. He surveyed international graduates working in Leeds on behalf of Pearson PTE, who offer English-language exams. His passion is to help students and graduates by giving them useful information, and he moved house four times in his four years of studying.
This article was originally published in August 2013 . It was last updated in February 2021
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