With the coming semester bringing students a hybrid method of learning, it’s bound to be an exciting, confusing and entirely new experience for all students. Moving into a new dorm or apartment is bound to be stressful right off the bat, but with the global pandemic that’s haunted us all since mid-March, things have become increasingly problematic and stress-provoking.

I’ve moved twice in college, and this year will have made it thrice. Based on personal experience, the first week and a half will be the most exciting and demanding time in your new place. From rushing around campus for basic groceries to setting up your own room, you’re bound to be occupied and moving the whole time. Since everyone is going to spend a much larger chunk of their time indoors this semester, here’s a list of things to help you organize and spice up your space:

A nice set of speakers or simply a single speaker can greatly change your personal space if you’re a big music head. I’ve got a set of studio monitors because I produce music. The speakers come in handy too every time we decide to throw a party or decide to have a movie night in the living room. Depending on the size of your dorm or apartment, you can get bookshelf speakers or just a regular Bluetooth speaker; if you’re daring enough, get floor standing speakers to blow the roof off your home.

LED strip lights go a long way to changing the whole mood of your space after the sun goes down. Amazon has a ton of options to pick from, giving you the liberty to measure out specific sections of your room to determine exactly how much you will need. LED strip lights are a wonderful addition to your space because they’re perfect for a movie night, a party with friends or even just a casual night in.

Posters or paintings: even if posters aren’t your thing, paintings are a great way to make your room feel more personalized and homey.  Tapestries also work as a great room wall decoration: each one looks completely different, and it takes up a considerable amount of wall space. You could also go the extra step and stick a bunch of led strip lights behind an empty canvas, cut some patterns into the canvas, and voila —  you’ve got a wall deco that can also work as a fancy lamp.

A TV or monitor can go a long way by changing how you spend your time in your room. A secondary screen is bound to help you with your academics because everyone wants more screen space. The monitor would also replace your laptop screen for a classic night of Netflix and hot chocolate.

There are a number of things that you can add to your personal space like command hooks to hang the numerous coats that you will need to brave Chambana winter or an electric kettle (or a whole Keurig if your coffee cravings are ceaseless) for your long caffeine-driven study nights or a trashcan so you don’t have to make trips to the kitchen every time you want to throw something away. These are the things that I found most useful to me. Ultimately, you should get a good balance of things to help you organize and optimize your college life and make your space feel like home.

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