Making a Dorm a Little More Like Home
This is my (side of my) room.
My dorm room is certainly not my new home, but I take pleasure in making it feel homey… personal, cozy, aesthetically pleasing, you get the picture. Being 3,000 miles away from where you feel safe and secure can be hard, but something that makes it easier is surrounding yourself with what makes you happy. You generally don’t have much room in dorms, so I made the most out of my side of the room.
First would be my wall…
Before I came to Tufts, I knew I wanted to make a collage so I gathered some prints, postcards, pictures, etc. and have continued to add more as the year’s gone on. For example, I have a few Van Gogh postcards, a Nerdfighter poster, a Breakfast Club print, some photo booth strips, and a paper llama card my mom sent me.
I also made a photo grid on my closet door; little reminders of friends, family, and some of my best adventures always make me smile.
I chose bedding in a versatile color scheme,and this one specifically because it reminded me of the magic rain in Beauty and the Beast (but like in a sophisticated way) and added pillows with elephants and a map of SoCal.
On my desk I keep as much stuff as I possibly can...
Since I’ve never been one to work at a desk in my room, its mainly more storage. I filled my bookshelf with the books I’ve read and re-read a thousand times (Pride and Prejudice, The Fault in Our Stars, The Little Prince) as well as a few I’ve been excited to start (Gone with the Wind, Harry Potter, Freakonomics). I have my six favorite flavors of tea, an absolute necessity, my Shakespearean Insults mug, five different elephants, and the less exciting makeup/school supplies/vitamins. Essential to survival is a stash of your favorite snacks when hunger strikes in the wee hours of morning. It’s comforting to have my favorite Trader Joe’s cookies around when I’m feeling a little homesick.
Living in a dorm is a completely new experience, and definitely takes a little getting used to, but decorating it and making it something personal to come back to every day makes a world of a difference!