This semester will be my fifth semester living in the dorms. The first four were as a resident, and this one, the fifth one is as a Resident Advisor. I have always made it a priority to make dorm living as comfortable and homey as possible. Yet, in the last few weeks I have discovered so many new things I can’t believe I was living without.Â
First up, blackout curtains. This one has totally changed my life. Not only have these curtains blocked out car headlights and morning sun, but they also make my room feel a lot cozier. I’ve been wanting to get them for a while, but I always struggled with how I would hang them up. Unfortunately, I am not willing to drill into the cinderblock walls. Then it dawned on me, I bet they make curtains that stick to the walls. And they sure do. The ones I have are hung by a velcro strip that sits above the window, and the curtain itself has velcro that hangs to the strip. The benefits were immediate. I slept better than I have in weeks that night, all thanks to my new blackout curtains
My next essential is a robe. I don’t know about you, but I absolutely hate taking my clothes into the communal showers. They always end up falling on the floor and getting wet. It is so gross. But, I don’t really want to walk from the bathroom back to my room in just my towel. Especially since I have to walk past the main entrance to my building to go between the two… So, my robe has become my best bathroom friend. It’s cozy, I can wear it to and from shower time, and I don’t have to worry about dropping my towel in the hallway (which is something I have had many nightmares about).Â
Next, an electric kettle. In a crazy turn of events, I have decided to give up caffeine this semester which means I am drinking wild amounts of herbal tea. In semesters past, I would just heat up water in the microwave. But my electric kettle ensures that my tea is the perfect temperature every single time. It is also much more convenient to leave the water in the kettle and just press the on-button. Thankfully, this is one of the few appliances we can have in the dorms as it is also super handy when I want to make pasta or rice!
Finally, a throw blanket. This might actually be the most important one for me. This semester and the last two, my dorm room did not have air conditioning, so sleeping can be pretty hard before fall temperatures roll in. I can trade my comforter for a throw on hot nights or double up on colder ones. It is also handy to have when I am just hanging out in my room, or chatting with residents in the common room. It is much better at regulating my temperature than a sweatshirt-sweatpants combo.Â
It can be hard living in the dorms, so having what you need to feel comfortable is super important. Simple things like extra blankets or a lamp can make huge differences to how you feel about your room! So, treat yourself to something that will make dorm living even a little bit homier.