5 ways to make your dorm feel like home Hult Blog

Written by Global Ambassador, Melissa Camilo, Marketing major student in the Hult Undergraduate program, London campus. Leaving home to study abroad might be difficult. You might feel out of place and white dorm walls are not really the most welcoming thing in the world. But theres no need to worry! Here are some ways in which you could make your dorm feel a little bit more like home. 1. Decorate it Your room should be a place that represents you. When people walk in they should be able to tell a little bit about you just by the way your room is decorated, by what is on your walls and the little details around the room. Try to combine practical items that are also useful like pillows, coaster, duvets etc. Turn your room into your own space by decorating it with unique yet functional things. You have two options of how to decorate your room. You can have the year-long decoration which simply represents you as a person, or you can embrace the holidays. If holidays are something you enjoy then decorating your room depending on the season and the special occasion coming up might be a nice way to keep you both entertained and keep your room interesting all the time. Even though it  wasnt  the same as back home, it gave me a sense of normality and security. I remember coming into my dorm the first year and going to different shops just to find the one duvet and bedspread that I really loved. I chose ones with my favorite colors which were the same with the ones in my room back home in the Dominican Republic. Even though they weren’t the same as the ones back home, it gave me a sense of normality and security. 2. Put together a photo collage Filling your dorm with pictures from past events or just goofy ones with your friends from your home country is a good way to feel closer to them. Pictures will not only help you add personality to your room but it will create a base for you to create even more memories. For the rest of the year just remember to take a picture with all the new friends you make and anything interesting you do, so that you can print them occasionally, and add them to your collage. Build a photo wall of your favourite moments at uni. It is not only about putting pictures up of those you love most but also decorating it however you want. This can be playing with the shape they form or even trying to fit them all because you cant choose which one you want or which goes best next to the other. You can add things to it like ribbons, colorful tape or funny frames to add a little bit of color. Pictures will not only help you add personality to your room but they will form  a base for you to create even more memories. My Malaysian friend Charis has always had a picture wall. As the years have passed-we are in our second year now-the pictures start to change from friends back home to the different years here at uni. And it is always nice to sit back and look at the pictures and appreciate the little moments and memories we have formed together. Even if we are not in the picture it is always fun to remember the day or the stories that come with each one. 3. Bring something from home Having something familiar in this entirely new place might remind you of home enough to help you adapt. It might sound silly to bring your teddy bear or blanket from home but trust me it is more common than you think. Having that one item that you can pull out when you are missing home to either hug or look at is a reminder to yourself that you will be back soon enough. As long as it fits your luggage, why not bring your favorite thing from home? You can even bring your old bedspread to help you sleep more comfortably. If you have some extra space in your luggage then why not bring your favorite bedroom accessory along to have a touch of your old room in your dorm. If you are going to make your dorm feel like home you might as well make use of all your senses! 4. Candles or scents that remind you of home Something we don’t think about often is how much a smell can remind us of home. Every time you go into a restaurant that serves your national dish or a scent that reminds you of home, you can’t help but feel a little bit homesick. So why not have a scent that you used in your room back home or light a scented candle with that smell every once in a while. This can make your room feel homely and can help you adapt to a new place more easily. If you are going to make your dorm feel like home you might as well make use of all your senses! One of my friends really enjoys scents, so she will always have a scented candle or air freshener somewhere in her room. By now we know her favorite scents and every time the dorm corridor smells like jasmine, we are pretty sure she just went shopping for some candles. 5. D.I.Y.s Crafting something yourself  is an amazing way to make something special without spending too much money. With so many tutorials online it is a fantastic way to bond with your roommate if you have  one and/or to spend some time making your room unique. This is where you have the liberty to do whatever you want and give a little twist to make your dorm room feel more like your own space. Hult Lodge in San Francisco has exciting activities like the ping pong tournament. Delicious cooking sessions with the London community. And even if decorating and doing all of this is not really your thing there is one amazing thing about living in the dorms, Activities! There is no better way to get to know new people and hang out with your friends than the dorm activities! During my stay at the Hult dorms, I have participated in pub quizzes, fitness classes, Thanksgiving/Christmas dinners and so many other themed activities. Each one is packed with fun and getting to meet new people, whom I might not have seen before! Jumping into this new adventure might seem scary at first, but trust me, your second home will feel like your first home in no time. Curious about life at our Undergraduate Campus? Send in your questions  here. Melissa Camilo is a Global Ambassador from the Dominican Republic. Shes an active member of Model United Nations, Womens Amazons Rugby Club and Fine Arts Society. She dreams to pursue a career in the music industry. Make the most of what your career has to offer with a Masters in International Business from Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog The roommate effect: From strangers to friends, or give your employability a huge boost with an MBA in international business. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to explore everything about the business world, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .