Going to college is surely one of the most important events in your life. This is the time when you officially start to build your way toward your dream career. Although your previous years in education are also vital in attaining your goal, it is in college that you get to choose a specific track to take. 

 

However, no matter how exciting college may sound, there are a few sacrifices that a student like you needs to make. One of which is leaving home and living independently. Independent in the sense that you have to handle your finances, cook your own meals (if you’re not busy with academics), and even do grocery shopping all on your own, though, let’s say you’re living with a roommate. 

 

Sometimes you’ll find the challenge of living far from home exciting. Some days you’ll find yourself feeling sad because you miss the comfort your home brings you. There’s no one personally checking on you–almost every contact with your family has gone virtual. There’s also no one who can instantly be with you during your sick days, especially when your family lives miles away. 

Despite these drawbacks, we know there’s no stopping you from reaching your dreams. You can do a lot to combat all these negativities that await you in college. One is making your temporary home feel like your home away from home. 

 

It won’t be the same. That, we know for sure, but it’ll surely help you alleviate the struggles of living away from your family as a college student. Stay with us as we unveil the ways to make an apartment feel like home for a college student. 

 

1. Display Family Pictures

What other things can represent your home better other than your family? You see, there is some kind of warm feeling overflowing our hearts when we see photos with or of our families. We somehow can travel back in time and relieve the feelings of comfort that these important people make us feel. 

 

Also, one of the most common sources of motivation to finish college among Filipino students is their family. Due to our collectivistic culture, we always treat our families with utmost value and respect. Hence, displaying a picture of them in the living room or on the bedside table can help you get through heavy days. 

 

2. Make a Collage of Personal Pictures

Your apartment will serve as your home for four years, so it would be a good place where you can track your improvement and the significant changes in your life. 

 

If you have a personal printer, you can print out pictures of yourself during significant life events to help you remind of your progress. 

 

However, if you don’t have a printer with you, you can always keep tokens or memorabilia that will serve as your reminder of those moments. 

 

Regardless of your choice between the two, having something that will remind you of what you were once is helpful to your personal growth. 

 

3. Furnish your Apartment

Another important thing that could make your apartment feel like home is furniture. We’re not talking about really expensive furniture here. Instead, we’re referring to budget-friendly yet functional and good-quality furniture that you can buy in your local store. 

 

You don’t want to go home after a long and tiring day at school with no place to rest and even eat your meal other than your bed, right? That can be disheartening and can make you feel more lonely. 

 

So, ensure you have a bedframe, a desk for your study sessions, and a single couch. If you have a roommate, ask if they’re willing to chip in to buy a bigger couch or a kitchen table for the two of you. Having an apartment where you can do things you normally do in your family home can really make a difference. 

 

4. Cook your Favorite Homecooked Meal 

One of the things that you’ll surely miss when you move out of your family home to go to college is your mom’s cooking. No more warm soups during rainy days and surprise snacks when you’re in the middle of reviewing for your exams.

 

So, what you need to do is to ask your mom for her recipe for your favorite meals before moving out of your home. That way, you can recreate them whenever you want or when you’re free from academic work to comfort you during stressful days. 

 

5. Bring Scents or Essential Oils that Remind you of Home

Is there a particular scent that permeates your family home? Maybe you miss smelling the fresh scent of the bamboo trees while hanging around on your veranda. Or perhaps, nothing makes you feel safer other than your mom’s baking sessions during the weekends? 

 

Whatever scent reminds you of your home, you can now infuse it into your own space by buying the same scents in candle and essential oil form. 

 

Having the scents fill the atmosphere in your apartment will not just make you feel at home, but it will also provide relaxation and improve your state of mind. 

 

6. Use Greeneries as Decor

There’s something that’s just comforting when seeing greeneries, right? Adding a few plants inside a house certainly gives it a sense of life. Maybe that’s why your mom takes care of your plants at home religiously. 

 

To help you get that level of comfort and maybe remind you of your mom’s favorite activity, you can add a few low-maintenance indoor plants, such as snake plant, aloe, money plant, cactus, or fiddle-leaf fig. If you foresee problems with their maintenance, given your busy schedule as a student, decorating with faux plants can do. 

 

7. Maintain cleanliness

Another thing that can certainly bring you memories of home is probably your parents, specifically your mom’s everyday complaints about you or your siblings’ effort to maintain your home’s cleanliness. 

 

The time you already start college and live away from them is also the time when you realize that everything they say is important, particularly the part where they say that you need to learn how to clean because there’s no one who can look after your mess when you live alone other than yourself. 

 

However, regardless of whether your parents did this when you were growing up, maintaining cleanliness is a must-learn life skill. You’ll be surprised how better your life will be even by just simply keeping your space clean. 

Did you find these tips helpful? We sure hope so! We understand how difficult it is to adjust in the initial stages of your college life living experience. That’s the reason why we’ve come up with all of these in the first place.

 

Now that you’re equipped with all of these ideas to make your apartment feel like home may you successfully conquer all the other challenges you’ll face in college. You got this!