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APARTMENT GUIDE MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010 THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN KANSAN.COM
Living spaces can reflect personality
BY JESSIE BLAKEBOROUGH editor@kansan.com
Living arrangements in college can make you feel like you're stuck in a homeless limbo. Lots of students still go home over breaks and the lucky few whose parents haven't converted their rooms into a home gym are preserved
in pre-college surries.
Whether you are sleeping in the bed you've had since elementary school, or the futon next to dad's new elliptical, being under the same roof as your parents just feels like home.
But in reality we spend three quarters of the year in dorm rooms or apartments at the University. It's understandable to feel torn
An oldie but a goodie, some students opt to string up colorful lights. A well placed strand around a window or a door frame adds a quirky ambiance and provides decent mood lighting for a cozy cuddle or a movie night with friends. Look for returned lights or check out the post-holiday sales for a reduced price.
"My roommates and I got some in KU colors so they are more special," said Luke
between which one is actually "home" and where you feel more comfortable. With a few simple do-it-yourself projects, even the most frugal college student can create a sense of hominess for their semi-permanent residence at school.
Even those not blessed with a green thumb can enjoy foliage in the form of a cactus or bamboo plant, both almost impossible to kill.
Ranker, a freshman from Ellsworth. "We call them our mood lights."
A little greenery can go a long way to making your college residence feel more inviting, too. Even those not blessed with a green thumb can enjoy foliage in the form of a cactus or bamboo plant, both almost impossible to kill.
But if the responsibility of becoming a fulltime potted plant owner seems overwhelming, buy store bought flowers instead.
"I had a date that brought me flowers once and I liked the brightness and life it added to my room so I make an effort to buy some
every few weeks," Emily Cappo, a freshman from Overland Park, said.
If you aren't confident in your gardening skills, try your hand at personalized wall paper. Taking advantage of the poster sales hosted by the Union at the beginning and end of a semester is always a safe bet but there are many creative options you can choose from if you want to go for something more original.
Preston Determan, a sophomore from Holton, created a collage of basketball pictures from campus publications.
"It wasn't as hard to do as it was time-
consuming to figure out where to put all of the pictures," Determan said.
The best thing about decorating your own place is that you get to choose how much effort or how involved you want to get. It's your space. If you've always wanted Space Jam curtains, try to make a pair or indulge your inner child and put glow-in-the-dark constellations on your ceiling. There are no limits. Just go for what you like and your space will become a reflection of you.
Edited by Megan Heacock
Students find inexpensive ways to decorate rooms by using things such as photos and magazine cut-outs.
Deborah Fraser/KANSAN
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