Making Your Best Home Away From Home

For students and their families, going off to college for the first time is a whirlwind experience.

And on top of all of the usual worries—making friends, managing your new workload, living on your own for the first time—college students in 2025 are facing more financial strain than generations before.

Costs for essentials, like groceries and household items, are higher than ever. Federal budget cuts are impacting colleges and universities across the country and driving up tuition. And with a changing economic climate, choosing a major that will result in a stable career can be a real guessing game.

While so many of these factors are out of their control, there are a few simple but effective things college students can do to prepare, which will make their transition to this new phase of their life easier.

According to Cindy Chanin, founder and director at Rainbow Education Consulting & Tutoring, says making a “home away from home” can be essential to being able to handle those challenging parts of the college experience.

“Many college students find themselves asking: how can I afford tuition and create a space for myself that feels like home?,” Chanin says. “Luckily, there are simple and affordable solutions that can ensure that your space truly feels like it belongs to you.”

There’s a lot to consider when packing for college: not only do you need to make sure you have your usual school supplies, but college living also typically comes with a need for other essentials, like linens, dishware, and laundry essentials.

But Chanin says personal items are just as important for making your dorm room feel like home. She recommends that students pick out a couple of small, sentimental mementos to bring with them.

“I know it can feel silly, as an emerging adult, to find yourself packing family photos or old toys from your childhood, but a photo wall or a beloved stuffed animal can be anchors, tying you to your childhood and helping you find some calm in the storm that freshman year can feel like,” Chanin says.

Dorm rooms are known to be ultra-small spaces, which can make them feel cramped and not very functional. But we tapped designers to find out how you can decorate even the smallest shoebox of a dorm room so it feels ten times larger.

And according to Chanin, the way you decorate your dorm room can have a big impact on your productivity, but also goes a long way to turning it into a sanctuary where you can unwind from a long day of classes and course work.

“Maybe you keep a special candle by your bed that you light when it’s time to wind down or maybe you budget to buy that extra-comfy pillow—whatever works best for you!” she says. “These small choices can signal to your brain that it’s time to relax.”

For many students, dorm living is their first taste of living on their own and having more independence, and with that newfound independence comes a lot more cleaning.

And, coupled with the pressure to stay on top of course work and busy social lives, keeping your dorm room nice and tidy can be a challenge.

But if you’re armed with a few simple cleaning tricks, it’s easy to keep your dorm room feeling fresh, so you can stay focused on more important things.

Some students can thrive in a space no matter how organized—or messy—it is. But making sure your dorm room is organized well can actually lead to higher productivity, and may even help you feel more relaxed.

“Remember: dorm rooms are small but mighty,” Chanin says. “Organizing your space so that it meets your specific needs can give you that much-needed boost to take on another hectic semester!”

Ultimately, you want your dorm room to feel like a home away from home—a space where you feel safe, comfortable, relaxed, and able to accomplish anything that college throws your way.

And according to Tim Kleinknecht, a licensed clinical social worker, this can make the transition to college living—and adulthood—easier.

“When students feel grounded in their environment, they’re better equipped to focus on academics, build connections, and navigate the challenges of college life with resilience,” Kleinknecht says.

“A little preparation and intentionality can transform an unfamiliar space into a sanctuary, making the journey toward independence a little less daunting.”