After years of living with their parents, many high school seniors are undoubtedly excited at the prospect of living away from home once they become college freshmen. There is, of course, an exhilarating allure of moving out of one’s family home and into a college dorm room. This is the place where college students return from a day of challenging advanced lectures or a night of intense partying; a place where they are able to find solace for studying their lessons in peace or where they can gather their friends for a casual dinner and study group session.
And since this is going to be the place where college students are going to spend the next few years as their personal quarters while earning their degree, here are some important tips on how incoming college freshmen should go about in making their dorm room a nice and habitable space to live.
Always Consider the Basics
Before moving in, take stock of the essentials that you need to have in your dorm room. This covers your everyday clothing, toiletries, beddings, and a fully-stocked medicine kit for emergencies. It’s also ideal to bring with you a decent stock of healthy but non-perishable food that will help get you through the first few weeks of college student life such as oatmeal, pasta, and canned goods that are low in fat and sodium. You can get away with not purchasing new clothes to save money, but always be mindful to regularly up on food and toiletries, especially if you know you’re close to running out.
Upgrade Your School Supplies
With more and more students going digital today, it’s no surprise many students are relying on laptops or tablets to take down notes. However, if you own either of those gadgets but still want to take notes the old-fashioned way, a few notebooks will suffice. Supplement your stash of notebooks with a handful of pens, pencils, markers, and erasers. On the tech side, consider getting a tiny flash drive (or two) for extra storage space or—if your budget allows it—an external hard drive to back up all your important files.
Cleanliness is Crucial
Just because you’re not living with your parents doesn’t mean it’s an excuse to not clean up after yourself. Too often, college dorm rooms are unkempt due to students barely having the time to keep things tidy and clean. Always make it a habit to keep your dorm room spotless and organized. Gather an arsenal of cleaning supplies from mops, rags, and brooms to detergents, disinfectants, and air fresheners. These tools are necessary in order for you to keep your place habitable and your parents impressed with your hygiene.
Add a Personalized Touch
Apply your personality to a typical dorm room by adding decorative accents that reflect your interests and truly making the space your home away from home. Colorful posters are an easy way to bring pizzazz to your walls, while miniature knickknacks on your dining table, study desk, or bedside dresser can instantly draw attention. Editing your interior decorating selections is important to make your room interesting without making it look overwhelming with superfluous items that just take up space and clutter your dorm room.