Starting university is a huge change no matter where you’re moving from. One of the best ways to make this jump easier is by making your accommodation feel like home.
College accommodation at Durham
I am currently in my first year living out at John Snow College. My room has an ensuite bathroom, a 3/4 bed, a desk, and plenty of storage. This can differ between and within colleges.
A really helpful way to check for this is on the Durham University website under the ‘Our Colleges’ section. This page contains important information about each college, such as whether they are catered or self-catered, pricing, what each room includes, and pictures of the accommodation. Before moving out I spent a lot of time on this webpage to help visualise my room and work out what to purchase.
These web pages can also be really important in helping you make packing lists for University. Most colleges provide a suggested list of what you will need to bring, as well as an outline of which items you cannot bring.
My recommendations
Many of the essentials you bring to University depend on what kind of accommodation you’re living in. A must for me is good bedding to make your room feel extra comfortable. I also strongly recommend a dishmatic style sponge to anyone living in self-catered accommodation- it’s a life saver for doing your dishes!
Putting up lots of pictures is a great way to make your room your own. I used lots of Polaroids to decorate my room. Most college rooms will come with a pinboard to allow you to do this. Websites like FreePrints can be a great way of getting these photos as they offer printing onto quality paper for relatively cheap.
You can find plenty more ideas and recommendations for your accommodation online and across social media. I found it really useful to save these posts and make lists when preparing to move out.
Shopping
One of my favourite places to go University shopping was B&M. They have lots of really handy storage options that are great for making the most of the space in your room, as well as a range of decorations and lots of everyday essentials like toiletries and cleaning products.
I also found IKEA to have lots of useful storage options, such as the boxes and trolly pictured. Organising your space can be a great way of making your accommodation feel less cluttered and more homely, especially when lots of accommodation can be a downsize from what you are used to.
However, it’s important to remember that making your accommodation feel like home doesn’t mean spending hundreds of pounds on new bits and bobs. Some of my favourite parts of my room are parts I took from home.
Accommodation is more than just your bedroom
Most college flats have a shared space that you can also make your own. My flat came with a whiteboard that we use to keep organised, as well as pinboards that we use to collect memorabilia. Decorating and utilising this space can be a way of both making your accommodation more homely and connecting with the people you live with.
Discover more
Explore Durham Colleges here
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