It’s a new year and you probably have a new space off campus. A year in the dorm was enough and it’s time to move on to bigger, more exciting things. No, I’m not referring to the fight for a PC parking pass or another semester of 8 a.m. classes. I’m talking about apartment living.
Look at all the room for activities you could never do in the dorm, and you have no idea what to do with it. Chances are you probably don’t have a garage, so karate with your new best friend/roommate really isn’t an option.
Most apartment complexes let you color your space. As exciting as that may be, there’s minimal chance you paint them because no way are you painting them white again when you move out in a few years or months.
Either way, you have a ton of white space. Luckily, there’s a poster sale at the beginning of each semester on the second floor of the Student Center. If you’re not into that, hopefully your parents have some sort of taste in wall art and are happy to donate to their college student. If not, local art shows are a fairly common event through out the year. Keep checking The Plainsman, we’ll keep you updated.
Next on the list: furniture. Your complex may provide furniture. If they don’t, chairs from home, bookcases from thrift shops and lamps from the dollar store are easy pickups. It’s not hard to find something special to you in Auburn, and it won’t kill you to explore the area more. You’re going to be here for a while, after all.
Brainstorm with your new roommates, if they’re social, on customizing your living room and kitchen. It’s a great way to spend time with them and there’s a chance they have great ideas or solid Pinterest boards. Guys, if you don’t Pinterest, the girl next door most likely does, and you most likely were going to make friends with her anyway.
For the rest of your apartment and college tips, here’s helpful ones contributed by friends who I met via some of the tips above. Yes, they really do work.
- For closets: Turn all of your hangers facing you and turn them around once you've worn the item. In three months anything still facing the other way gets donated.
- Have a dedicated time each week for laundry, cleaning and making to do lists or schedules of the coming week. Sunday afternoons are my go to. Sometimes just taking a step back and looking at the big picture is all you need.
- Color-code your notebooks with the color pen that you write in your planner with. Have multiple tests coming up? Highlight the top of notecards with the same color so I can just grab and go with the right cards.
There’s plenty of ways to decorate your space. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be afraid to customize your space your way. Also: don’t be afraid to invest in your apartment. You won’t throw away everything when you graduate and most of the things your buy for your apartment now will continue on with you after your time on the Plains.
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