Moving to university for the the first time is a scary experience. once you get there you have a room all to yourself. This room is your own personal space. It should express who you are and what you are all about.
A standard student room is normally very plain and basic, trying to fit all of the basic amenities into a small space so that the landlord/owner can cram in as many students into the same space.
But if you decorate the room, you can easily make your room seem much more appealing and make it seem like a home away from home. And there are also lots of cheap ways to jazz up your space without spending a fortune.
Here are a few tips for you to bear in mind.
You’ve made it into your new student place!
It’s probably your first time away from home, and you want to create a room that shows off your personality to others.
However, at the same time you don’t want it to cost the earth. You are living on a student budget after all.
We have complied a few suggestions for how to make your student room your own.
Bedding
The first thing you will need is bedding. Be sure to check what size your bed is, you don’t want to buy something that is too big or too small for your bed.
Your bed probably going to be the biggest piece of furniture in your room, so its the one that really sets the tone for your entire room. Whatever colour you had in mind for your room is the colour your bedding should be, or at least compliment.
I would personally avoid getting a very strong pattern or colour and stick to the light and easy to manage colours and patterns. Check out some of these items:
Desk & Chair
By definition a student room should have a desk within it. If yours has not got one I suggest you start asking a couple of questions to whoever is in charge. The desk is where you should be spending most of your time studying.
Try to keep it clear of clutter and give yourself ample space for your laptop. Sometimes your room will come with a lamp, if not try and get one. A lamp provides another source of light and can set a really nice tone within your room.
Storage
One thing I really got angry with in my student room is the fact that I hardly had any decent storage space! But soon I realized there were a few things I could do on the cheap to add some more space.
Firstly I would like to remind you that you actually have a ton of space underneath your bed. I would only put stuff that you don’t really use a lot of here. If you want to put your stuff into something before shoving it under your bed try using one of the crates that you get when you do an online shop from a supermarket. These tend to fit in perfectly underneath a single bed!
Another solution I found were these great little fabric hanging shelves. When you are not using them they easily fold away and can be put anywhere (even under your bed). They are pretty cheap and give you 8 shelves to put all your stuff on.
A handy tip is to try and buy anything that is collapsible. This means when you are not using it you can put it away and free up some room. here are a couple of ideas for you:
Accessories
Accessories are a great way to give your room a lot of character at a low cost. Things like fairy lights and small rugs can really make your room feel a lot more homely. Also don’t forget things like posters and stuff.
Posters are a cheap and cool way of filling up the empty space on your wall. Most universities have a poster store at the start of any school year. It is worth checking them out! they normally have really cool posters and great deals.
Photo Frames
This might sound like an obvious suggestion, but they are a cheap and easy way to brighten up a room.
Being away it’s nice to be reminded of your friends and family back home. If the idea of a simple frame bores you, there are many different types out there. If you buy a digital frame the pictures will change as often as you want them to in order to give you something new to look at each time.
As a student, it is a necessity to have at least 1 poster in your room! Again, they are a cheap way to decorate a room and show off a bit of who you are.
Stereotypically as a guy, you should get a poster featuring girls or a car (buying a poster with both on will kill two birds with one stone). Girls might be known for getting a nice landscape, like a beach view or the Eiffel Tower, or a cute animal.
To further decorate your wall comes another student classic: postcards. Postcards can be cheaper than posters or even free if you are luckily enough to come across free postcard stands in various bars.
If you feel like being a bit creative, you could make a collage from magazine and newspaper scraps. It’s guaranteed to be something individual that will be sure to impress others.
During exam time, get your geek on and put your study notes on the wall. It’s not the most fun decoration, but it’s really useful to see them there to remind you of what you should really be doing! Make sure to write the key points and write important things in bright colours or use highlighters.
Lighting
Candles are a girly cliché but they can create a nice atmosphere, and come in handy in there is ever a power-cut.
However, be aware of where your fire alarms are, because setting off a fire alarm in the halls of residence will not please your fellow students!
A boring tip, but nonetheless essential: buy a good lamp for those long and late study nights at your desk.
Flora and Fauna
To literally bring some life into your room, why not buy a plant or some flowers? Bear in mind that most need to be watered and/or fed at regular intervals. If you are looking for something low maintenance, try bamboo- they require only a little sunlight and are easy to grow.
Best Shops
Ebay and Amazon and Etsy are recommended, but here are a few places where you can buy some extra. special bits and bobs for your student pad:
Paperchase
Primarily a stationary store that sells lots of little funky nick-knacks.
Tiger
Addictive shopping at this ever expanding Danish chain with many cute finds.
Muji
High quality Japanese household goods.
How to Avoid Losing Your Deposit
And finally…
Keep in mind that many student halls of residences and student digs might be strict with what they let you do with the room. Blu-tack and tape might be ok on the walls, but generally nails are a no-go. Always make sure to ask your landlord or residential advisor.
I hope this article has helped! If you have any questions or any comments just drop a line in the box below!