Home away from home

Making a space feel like your own is so important. Especially when moving away from home for, most likely, the first time. That's why when I moved to university I made my room feel as homely as possible by adding lots of my own accessories, soft furnishings and photos (Comment if you want to know where anything specific is from). When at university it is very easy to become home sick, as much as you tell yourself that you wont, and a great way to combat this is to make your space feel more like your own, a sanctuary. It will become extremely obvious when moving into university, or even when watching vlogs online before getting there, that everyone's room looks more or less the same to begin with and when you see the room transformations of the all-American sorority girl vloggers, who seem to have all the money and time in the world to spend on making their room look like it came straight out of a magazine, it can seem intimidating. But there are a few ways you can change your room to make it your own without spending thousands of pounds on it.

Below you can see what my room looked like before it was decorated, it was nice enough in a basic way and had what I needed. But there was no personality and it looked very boxy and plain. Most rooms available through university accommodation will look somewhat like this. A bed, most likely uncomfortable so bring a mattress topper, shelves, a pinboard, a desk, a chest of drawers and a window, sunlight not included.

 

The following photographs are of my room after it was decorated. There are a few simple things that I did that you can implement in your own rooms to make them feel more homely as well. I will go into those things in the pictures below.

1. Use decor items and art to add personality into your room, it can be anything from a dream catcher to a Moana postcard as long as it represents you. You will probably have more space than you think to fit things like this in your room, especially wall space and there's nothing worse than being stuck studying inside a room with four blank walls. Decorating your room can not only make it look a lot better but it can also improve your attitude towards university, and help you to feel less homesick, especially when you surround yourself with things that are familiar.

2. Things like a rug and throws are great to make your room feel softer and get rid of the harsh lines that mostly make up your university room. I also added a scarf over my desk chair to make it feel a bit more unique. My friends complimented my room when they came round and it was a great conversation starter. You'll be surprised how many conversations can stem from 'Wow I love your rug!'. 

You might also notice my laundry bag in the corner, I recommend getting one with handles or wheels because there's no guarantee you'll be near the laundry room and who knows how long you'll wait before washing your clothes.

3. Throw pillows are a must. This is not an opinion this is a fact. Throw pillows make the whole room seem more inviting and also make your bed look like a daybed/ couch meaning it will look more welcoming when friends come round. Especially if, like me, you don't have a common room. I also put up a poster on this wall and in hindsight would have put more up to balance the two sides a bit more. You could have posters of your favourite movies, works of art, book covers etc it all makes your room feel more like yours and less like the thousands of others in halls of residences across your university.

4. Keep your room clean. To some of you this may be obvious and to others it may seem laughable but I promise that keeping your room neat and tidy will improve your work ethic, make you happier and more productive. From time to time your room may get a bit messy, and that's fine, just keep on top of it as much as you can. There won't be anyone there to keep tabs on your room anymore, you're the adult, as daunting as that may be to some of you. At the minimum make your bed everyday, it's been spoken about many times before, here for example.

5. Photos. Photos. Photos. Now I know I spoke before about homesickness and this can work two ways, the photos will either remind you of home and make you homesick or they will give you familiar faces and comfort. So use your own discretion but as you can see here I displayed them on my pinboard.

I hope these tips were useful and help you make your university room look exactly how you want it to and I hope you have a great time at university 😊 

Set It Up

‘Set it up’ review

(Spoiler free)

By Sofia Nicole

My friend recommended ‘Set it up’ to me today. A movie that just came out on a little known streaming site called ‘Netflix’, so naturally this evening when perusing the site for something else to binge I stumbled upon it and decided that if she liked it I should give it a go. I made the right decision. This movie is funny, romantic, and everything a romantic comedy today should be. Reminiscent of late 90s and early 00s romantic comedies, with a modern audience in mind, this film strikes the perfect balance between the nostalgia of the movies you loved to watch at sleepovers growing up, and understanding of its own cheesiness in the most perfect way.

   As the movie opened and we were introduced to the female lead (Harper) working as an assistant, initially I rolled my eyes at the portrayal of another woman being an assistant at a fashion magazine, or in a vague role at a vague company. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong, in the movie we are quickly opened up to Harper’s role in the company, her work ethic, her ambition, and who she is as a character. The audience also sees that the company is not generic and vague but is in fact something the female lead is passionate about, as well as the fact that the company is owned and run by a woman. Harper, played by Zoey Deutch, is a relatable character that gives me Anna from Frozen vibes, if you remember that scene when Anna wakes up for her sister’s coronation, yes THAT! This character is charming, well-written, and doesn’t undergo an extreme makeover to be recognised as attractive or know her own worth, ground-breaking stuff! It was refreshing to watch a romantic comedy in which the female lead was independent, funny, and flawed, and being respected for these qualities.

   The sub-plots perfectly drive the main characters, acting as measures of where the main characters are in their development and leading Harper and Charlie, the male lead played by Glen Powell, to the ending. The supporting actors played by Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs, Joan Smalls, Meredith Hagner and Pete Davidson are also integral to the plot and are not the one dimensional and generic best-friend types that we often see, or the bosses we often see. We are let into the lives of the supporting characters to drive the story, and where these characters do fall into stereotypes it calls itself out and brings it back, and where they stray from stereotypes it is not mentioned and just showcased as a natural and obvious choice. Making it the perfect blend of old and new romantic comedy.

   If that wasn’t enough to win you over it is also clear that Charlie is flawed and has hurdles to overcome. The movie perfectly deals with the issues that could be found in the 90s and 00s movies surrounding male leads and their choices. The chemistry between the characters is obvious to the audience from the start, as it is in all classic romantic comedies, but it is dealt with in such a careful and comical way that it is reminiscent of the best of its own genre, such as ‘When Harry Met Sally’. It perfectly engages with what has come before it while maintaining the same elements of the genre, it has slapstick humour, rom-com tropes, and attractive leads, as well as being relatable, reassuring, and romantic.  Without gushing anymore I can’t recommend this movie highly enough. If you are looking for a cheesy rom-com to watch, that is fully aware of what it is while becoming it perfectly, then this is the movie for you.