Moving into a college dorm can be hard for people who have never lived away from home. You can feel very afraid and nervous. You might start to feel like you’re not going to make it at school. I remember when I moved into my first dorm, I was very homesick and I didn’t know how to fix it. Then I started doing a couple little things that made it feel homier.

1. Hang up pictures of friends and family.

Before you move into your dorm, print out a bunch of pictures of you with your family and friends. Get them off your phone or off of Facebook or anywhere you can possibly think of. Ask your friends if you can borrow their copies of pictures so you can make a copy for yourself. Then either hang up right on your wall or get a picture board. I personally got a wood board with twine hanging across it so I can clip the pictures onto it. I’ll look at the pictures every day and think of home.

2. Bring posters from your room.

When you’re home, you see those posters every day in your room. Why not bring them to college with you? Seeing them will remind you of home and the familiarity of seeing them will calm your nerves.

3. Stuffed animals. Bring them.

For those of you who have seen “Pitch Perfect,” remember that girl who was walking into the dorms with all of the stuffed animals? It was a short clip at the beginning of the movie, but that girl is me. I brought so many stuffed animals to college with me. I am that dork. And you can be too. If you have stuffed animals or just one you like, bring it to school. It will calm your nerves to see something that reminds you of your childhood. Or it’s just cute and you like it. Either way, it makes you feel better.

4. Find something that smells like home.

I know that sounds silly, but just hear me out. There are certain scents and smells that will remind you of a certain place or a certain time. Find one that reminds you of home. Whether it be the air freshener your mom uses or a wallflower with her favorite scent. Anything that will remind you of home.

5. Have some homemade food.

I know that my mom never stopped sending me care packages. If your mom is the same way, ask her to send some food from home. Something that your mom or dad makes that’s a special dish. It doesn’t have to be a huge pan (and I don’t recommend a huge pan because you’re not allowed to have any heating devices in your dorms), but it can be a small portion. Enough to remind you that you can still feel like your home.

Well, there you go. Five ways for you to make your college dorm feel like home. I hope these tips help you and I hope you have a great year at college.