Moving into your student accommodation can be daunting. For many, it may be the first time you’ve ever spent any extended time away from home. But fear not, because with some simple decorating tips and tricks, you can make that uni accommodation feel like your very own bedroom in no time!
Beat that homesickness with these ideas:
Your accommodation probably comes with a noticeboard, and if it doesn’t, you can get them pretty cheaply. Noticeboards are great because you can pin anything you need to remind yourself of, or create your very own personalised display to make your room look ten times better.
Pin pictures, tickets, wristbands, leaflets and anything else you gather during your time as a student and add them to the board to create your very own snapshot of your student life. It will act as amazing décor for your room and also serve as a useful visual timetable for upcoming events.
It goes without saying, but having constant reminders of your friends, family and pets in the form of photos will help keep that homesickness at bay. Forget printing them on paper, get yourself some proper photo prints of your favourite memories and stick them up around the room. Better yet, invest in some beautiful frames and have them displayed on your desk where you can always see them.
There are plenty of creative and unique ways to display photos if your uni is strict about sticking things to walls, like using pegs attached to string lights; you could even add the photos to your noticeboard to make a collage.
Most people buy brand new bedding for their university room, and it makes sense, you’ll still want a made bed at your home for the holidays, after all. However, if you want to make sure your uni room reminds you of home, you could opt to buy identical or very similar looking bedding, so it feels like it’s already your bed.
University halls tend to look completely identical with nothing but a number identifying which room is which. So why not personalise your door so everyone knows which room is yours? It’ll allow you to splash a little of your personality and interests on the front of an otherwise dull, boring door.
You can get posters specifically sized for doors, or you could stick some kind of sign on it, inviting people to knock, or you could even opt for a doormat to lay outside, making your room feel like your very own mini house.
Uni rooms are ashamedly identical as a result they’re a little characterless. It’s not always possible to do anything about this, as the furniture may be nailed down or because the room is too small to move anything around. But, if possible, you could consider moving stuff around to try and make your room feel more like what you have at home.
If there is space, you could even get some more furniture for added home comforts, such as a comfy bean bag or a rustic bedside table.
There’s a reason your parents have cushions in every room and on every chair. Cushions are great for decorating blank spaces as they come in any colour, pattern or design, and unlike ornaments or decorative pictures, you can actually use them in a practical sense. Take a page from your parents’ book and get yourself some jazzy scatter cushions to make your room more decorative, homely and inviting.
Never underestimate what a giant, snuggly throw can do for a room. Tucked onto the end of your bed or draped across a chair, a fluffy throw or a big knitted blanket will give your room a pop of colour and add an extra decorative touch that will make you feel right at home.
It’s a total cliché, but there’s a reason for that. There is just something magical about fairy lights that can transform any dull, boring university accommodation into a sparkling wonderland. Well, maybe not that extreme, but they’re certainly pretty, and they will make the room a million times cosier.
The best way to make sure your uni accommodation feels like home is to take as many reminders as you can. Whether it’s an old teddy you’ve had since you were small, or an ornament from the windowsill which has been there for as long as you can remember, filling your student accommodation with those personal, homely touches will help you transform any space into your very own home away from home.
When it comes to the end of term or end of year, Kangaroo Self Storage Scotland can help you keep your belongings safe and sound. No need to carry all those homely touches home – you’ll need them when you’re back anyway. If you’re thinking of travelling and don’t have your student accommodation over the holidays, or you need somewhere to store your things moving between digs, we can help. We provide clean, secure and affordable student storage in Glasgow, Dundee and Edinburgh. We sell boxes and we’ll even pick up – just get in touch.
