For most of us, living alone on campus is a new experience – a step towards independence and adulthood. The transition from living at home to living on campus may be a little challenging to some of us. But fret not – leading into the new semester, the NUS Residential Life team has compiled our list of life hacks that will make living on campus more convenient and fun!
#1 Cleaning supplies
Cleanliness of your room on campus should always be maintained for a pleasant living environment. Nevertheless, the traditional broom and mop may be excessive when cleaning a small room. Instead, cleaning supplies like the MagicClean mop and a lint roller (to pick up stray hairs and pieces of dirt) are handy alternatives to keep your room spotless.
#2 Tupperware containers
Apart from being the environmentally-friendly option to storing takeaway food, Tupperware containers are useful to have in your room on campus. They can be used to store leftover snacks, as a bowl, a storage container for bits and bobs lying around etc. Getting a cheap set of Tupperware containers from stores like IKEA will be helpful in your residential life.
#3 A toilet hamper
Sharing a common toilet with other students can be an experience. Unlike your bathroom at home, chances are that there are no space for you to store your shampoo and soaps. Instead of carrying everything by hand to the toilet, you can invest in a toilet hamper. This can be a simple plastic container that is big enough to fit all your hygiene essentials. It should come with a handle as well, so that you can carry it around easily. Showering is a daily task and anything to make it more convenient will be useful.
#4 Personalising your room
Perhaps having all of your belongings in a room can be considered ‘personalising your room’ but we feel that adding some personal touches to your room will make it more homely and therefore, enjoyable to live in. These personal touches need not be excessive – simple things such as photographs can easily transform a sterile and generic dorm room into one that is more comfortable and personal.
Source: Residential Life
#5 Air-freshener/candles
As busy university students, we may not spend that much time in our rooms on campus. If we keep our windows closed all the time, our small enclosed room will definitely begin to smell a little stale. To ensure that your room stays fragrant, we suggest the use of air-fresheners or candles. These can be procured cheaply at most supermarkets and convenience stores. Alternatively, leaving your windows open and airing your room is another option. Just be wary of wet weather.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed our list of hacks for a more convenient residential life on campus. What have we missed out? What are some of your own residential life hacks? Let us know!
