I think I share the sentiment when I say moving into college is definitely a mixing pot of emotions. There's fear, excitement happiness, mixed with a little sadness and uncertainty for what's to come. But as exciting and different it all may seem, it is definitely one thing that really changes your life. Here are a few tips to make your side of the room seem a little more homey.
1. Don't leave your bed at home
A BIG mistake i made was not bringing any of my blankets or pillows, everything I moved in with was new, so getting used to sleep in new sheets with a new blanket can be a reminder of the fact that you aren't home. I would suggest bringing a blanket or pillow so you're reminded home isn't to far, regardless of how far you may be for college.
2. For when hugs are far and few
This may seem a little cheesy and weird but my mom is my absolute best friend in the entire world. Through thick and thin she always has my back and has never lost faith in me. This may not just be me, but whenever I was stressed, a hug from her honestly made everything better. Because I was going to school over 400 miles away, hugging my mom everyday wasn't going to be a option, so I brought a bottle of her perfume with me to school. Whenever I missed her or had a particularly stressful day with classes or college life in general, in addition to calling her, I would spray a little of her perfume on my blankets and pillows or on my clothes so that she wouldn't feel so far away
3. Roommates + Rules = Good Froomies
Set rules with your roommate… and keep them. This one may be a little challenging considering you may not know who your roommate may be. Regardless if you are exactly alike, or in my case, polar opposites, rules are a good thing to have because they save for a lot of awkward angry silences and passive aggressive conversations. Nobody is perfect, everyone messes up, but there is a limit to how much messing up one can take. If it gets to a point where you feel like you are at a loss and your roommate keeps going against the rules that you mutually set, reach out to your RA or CA, there are rules in place to make your freshman year as comfortable as possible and the last thing anyone needs as a freshman in college is roommate drama in addition to new classes and a new campus
4. Aroma therapy
A big thing for me is aroma therapy. I love things that have a soothing scent, dorm rooms, however, aren't one of those things. Because dorm rooms tend to get a bit stuffy and stale, I would recommend bringing an essential oil diffuser with an oil that you like or one that you used in your room at home to not only add a nicer scent to the room, but also calm you down after a long day ( disclaimer: before doing this, do a little check in with your roommate to see if he/she/they would be cool with it. It is their room too so you want to make sure they are cool with the smell of it as well :) )
5. Hoodies are goodies
Old hoodies are a MUST. Packing for college is definently overwhelming and deciding what to bring and leave back is a daunting task for anyone. I chose to not bring my old soccer and high school hoodies that I normally wear to bed or to lounge around because they were worn out and I figured would take up to much space. That was definitely a mistake. Nothing feels better than wearing a worn in hoodie before you go to bed, especially if it's a new bed in a new environment.
P.S. no one cares what you wear in college, and if they do, they're caring about the wrong things. Take it from the girl who wore pajama pants and tall hunter boots to the dining hall weekend mornings for breakfast because she couldn't be bothered to change on a sunday morning :)
