Moving away from home and into university accommodation is a daunting process as it’s the first time you’ve properly left home to go and live somewhere else and its the start of a new chapter in your life. For me having a cosy and personal room made it easier to settle in and it was nice to have a little space to call my own. When I arrived, my room was completely bare and it was nice to have this blank canvas which I later turned into my own little space with the help of photographs, fairy lights and many other little bits, so I thought I’d share a list of ‘essentials’ on how to make your room feel like home! Enjoy!

Photos – I loved putting all my photos up in my room as it helped make my room so much more personal and cosy. I put them up all around my mirror and over my notice board so whenever I was doing my hair or work I was greeted by a particular memory or familiar face which was really cute! I love the polaroid look for my photos and I used the LaLaLab app to print mine off which was super easy as I had all my photos on my phone and all I had to do was select which ones I wanted! I think I went a bit overboard and ordered over 70 photos but they weren’t crazy expensive either. If you would like to give Lalalab a try for yourself then I have a fab £5 discount code for you to use. Simply use code PGTJ9BAD at the checkout to receive £5 credit to your account (this is a referral program so I will also receive £5 credit every time somebody uses my code).

Fairy Lights – I am a huge lover of fairy lights as not only do they help your room look like something off Pinterest but they also help it look nice and cosy especially on those dark winter evenings! You can get loads of different styles and types of fairy lights but I recommend you get the ones with the battery packs rather than plug socket as it gives you more options of where to hang them! I got mine from the wonderful Ikea but I know there are loads of other places you can get them from!

Bedding – Your bed is probably the main thing in your room so it’s got to look good and be super comfy. I brought loads of pillows with me which was really handy as my room became a social space and everyone was able to cuddle up with a pillow when we watched a film together. You can pretty much get bedding and pillows from anywhere but recently Primark has had some really nice homeware bits.

Fake Plants – Keep in mind the word ‘fake’. I love fake plants because not only does it save me from watering them but they help make me look like a fully functioning adult to visitors as it looks like I can care for another living thing! They are green and succulent all year round and can help add a little of bit of colour to your room.

Fragrance – What you do not want at university is the ‘I live with 8 other people smell’ so make sure you have an air freshener or a diffuser to keep your room nice and fresh but don’t make it too strong! I know many landlords and university rooms don’t allow you to burn candles but I still bought mine and left the lid off it as it still produced a homely and sweet scent.

I hope this list gives you some ideas when decorating and personalising your room and good luck to everyone starting their studies at university/collage!