Growing up, I knew every twist and turn of my house, I knew what floor boards squeaked, what faucets produced the best water, and exactly how long I could spend in the shower before the water started getting cold. I’d lived in the same house my whole life, the only thing that changed was the room in which I resided. I knew what windows were normally left unlocked, since I frequently forgot my key and hated being locked out.

The sound my front door makes when it swings open is so engrained in my memory that the slightest pull on the door will wake me out of the deepest sleep. I even know that the linen closet door cannot be opened from the inside because of the time that I’d hid in the closet and been unable to get out. I never thought that I would find anywhere that reminded me so much of home, until I went away for school and discovered the wonder that is a dorm room.

The summer before I left for school I spent every dime I had and moment of spare time on DIY projects and cool stuff for my dorm room. I had it all planned out in my mind, and I almost executed it perfectly, even though my string lights wouldn’t reach the outlet I was still content. In the beginning I referred to it as my dorm room, but after a while it became simply home. Home became not only where my family resided but also where my other roommates lived. I started understanding the importance of cleaning up after yourself, and seeing firsthand what items were and were not necessary for a living space. As time went on my dorm room became a second home. My roommates became my family; annoying but loveable. The people in my hall became my neighbors, and my RA became a daily facet in my life.

Dorm rooms are an important part of college life, you learn so much about yourself and your habits. It’s the start of building your own lifestyle apart from the one you adopted at home. They’re like the half step between living at home and your own apartment, without the stress of monthly rent. However, they can be just as stressful if the person you’ve been assigned to room with is less then pleasant. As someone who has dealt with her fair share of roommate struggles I urge you to take a head-on approach with any issues you come across and trying to work things out to make you’re shared living space as pleasant as possible. The key to a cohesive dorm room is communication between the inhabitants, don’t forget that!

As you start to pack up your things and get ready to leave home for school don’t forget to pack some fun things for your room. That’s your new home and you want it to be a representation of you and your personality! Get ready to take that step and move further into your adulthood.