About one year ago, I submitted my housing application for the 2023-2024 school year. Thanks to one lucky lottery number, my friends and I elected to live in Hillside Apartments. Within Hillside Apartments, students live in 6-person suites consisting of four single rooms, one double room, a small kitchen, a living, and a dining area. The spring semester of my freshman year went by, and before I knew it, It was already August and time to move into my new dorm for the year. I had been in one of the Hillside Apartments previously, but I had no idea what it would be like to live in one.
When I arrived at Hillsides in early September, our suite was a blank canvas. It was hard to see Hillsides as a home at first. It was just white walls and minimal furniture, but as my roommates and I decorated the walls and filled the air with the smell of freshly baked cookies, it began to feel less like a dorm and more like a home.
Now, about six months into living in Hillsides, I can safely say it feels like a home to me. Aside from being a place to live, there are a few things that make a space feel like home.
Number one: books. I truly do not believe a space is complete without at least a small stack of books somewhere. For me, I have a rapidly growing bookshelf in the corner of my room.
Number two: calming colors. I am someone who views home as a place of relaxation and a space to unwind from work or school, so I decorated my room fairly minimally and with light, calming colors. College can be overwhelming at times, so I appreciate having a space that helps me feel calm amidst the chaos.
Number three: smells. Growing up, my parents were always cooking or baking something, so the smell of food has always made me feel at home. Luckily for me, my roommates agree, and there is almost always the smell of baked goods or freshly prepared meals emanating from our kitchen.
Finally, number four: loved ones. I associate the home with the people I love, whether they be family or friends. In our suite, my roommates and I have people over regularly for baking or movie nights, doing homework, or just catching up.
Creating a home at college may seem like an impossible task, but I promise, it’s possible to not only feel comfortable living in a new space but also to make that space your own. Whether you are living on-campus, off-campus, in a suite, or in a double room, by adding even just a few of the things that remind you of home to your space, you can make that space feel like home.