The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wash U chapter.
It’s my first year living off campus, and adjusting to apartment life can take some time! There’s the added commute to classes but also the freedom of not being in a dorm. Here are some of the tips I have for making your apartment a warm and welcoming place.
- Try different layouts! In the dorms, there are only a few ways you can arrange the bed and desk, but you may be living in a bigger room now or have different window placements that open up more possibilities. Personally, I spent a lot of time arranging my furniture before I found a way to give me some separation between my desk and my bed.
- Decorate. It may seem simple, but putting up photos of friends, motivational posters, or fun lighting makes a huge difference. You won’t realize how bare your walls are until you do it.
- Meet your neighbors. I live in a building with only five other units, so I knew I wanted to know everyone by name. My roommates and I baked cookies and stopped by each unit to introduce ourselves. Now it’s great to see people around the building, bringing back that social aspect of dorms.
- Leave the work on campus. Admittedly, I’m not the best at this, but my goal is to get all my work done on campus so that my apartment is a place of relaxation and fun. I think it’d be a great way to create a work-life balance while in school and help develop time management skills.
- Have a housewarming party. My roommates and I did this, taking photos of all the guests, then putting them up in the living room as a guestbook. It’s one of my favorite parts of the apartment, and it’s also a great way to gather friends and celebrate your new place.