“Here I am in your life, Here you are in mine, Yes we have a suite life, Most of the Time”
If we’ve learned anything from the Disney Channel classic, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, it is that you can make any space feel like a home. Whether it’s a hotel room, an off-campus apartment, or a suite - as is the case for most of us Yalies - feeling like you’re at “a home away from home” when you come back from a day of classes is very comforting. The white dorm walls may not be the most welcoming thing in the world but, if you choose to decorate your space with purpose, you’ll find yourself never wanting to leave. And so (pause for a drum roll), I present to you my quick guide for living a suite life.
This is the [Common Room]
From watching movies, to studying, to late-night talking with your suitemates, the common room is the first space you enter when you walk into a suite and it can quickly become the room you spend the most time in.
To make our common room feel cozy, the first few things my suitemate Dianna and I bought were throw pillows, blankets, and a fluffy rug. However, I should warn you that making a room feel cozy can be quite dangerous. I cannot explain how many times the both of us have accidentally fallen asleep on our couch or on one of our lounge chairs (especially when it’s cold outside). Since both of us are usually hurrying out the door to class or work, we also decided to set up a snack station near our fridge and microwave. When we’re in the mood for some treats or a quick snack before heading down to the dining hall, the food corner of our suite has served us really well.
This is the [Dorm Room]
Your dorm room is a space very unique to YOU (see above how Dianna and I differ). It can be as minimal or as chaotic as you want it to be. You can choose to follow a color-scheme or care less about one. Regardless, your dorm room should be a space you find comfort in.
For me, I find comfort in familiarity. And so, I attempted to mimic how my room is set up back home in California. I got a similar comforter, similar set of pillows and even placed my three-tier rolling cart next to my desk just like I have it back home.
As someone who unfortunately likes to acquire a lot of things, I followed the tried and true tip of getting a larger size comforter to hide the stuff you place underneath your bed. What you can’t see from the photo above are the winter coats, suitcases, cleaning supplies and extra toiletries organized under my bed (I’m telling you that tip really works).
This is [Your Personality]
In addition to strategically organizing and making a space feel cozy and comfortable, you should also show off your personality in your decor.
Dianna, a big fan of The Office, has a fabulous pillow of one of the characters, Dwight Schrute, as the centerpiece of her bed. In my room, I take pride in the print collage I set up on one of my walls. If you look closely at the prints, you’ll be able to tell who my favorite musicians are, where I’ve traveled to, the artists I love and who my favorite superhero is. Underneath that collage, you’ll find my little reading area. Completed with a teddy bear from my mom that says “Someone in San Dimas Loves You,” I have a pile of books I want to read before the semester ends. In just that small area of my room, I have already shown off a lot of what makes me, me.
This is [Practical]
Above anything, your suite and your dorm should be practical for you and for those who you live with.
Right by our main door, Dianna and I hung up a wall organizer (with command hooks of course) to hold our masks, keys, and umbrellas. To add more personality pieces, we also added photos of us with friends and a magnet of Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo. Decorating with purpose, I then strategically placed a wall calendar on the first wall I see when I walk into my room. That way I can *hopefully never forget about a meeting or an assignment I have due.
This is [Fun]
To complete your suite and dorm, add some fun touches! From a stuffed moose, to a collection of rubber ducks, to a polaroid wall of everyone who has entered your suite, fun touches not only make you smile every time you see them but, they are great conversation starters.
Even, if decorating and doing all of this is not really your thing, there is one amazing aspect about living the suite life: the people. In addition to the many events the colleges host throughout the year, rooming with friends, near friends or with a stranger who can become a friend is what will make your second home feel like your first home.
