Written & Graphics By Mikayla Buneta

Photos By Hal Lueking

Modeled By Marisa Keller, Elisa Peters, & Natalia Cordero

Is a house always a home? Is an apartment always an accommodation? A dorm a… dwelling? The concept of home becomes blurry to many once entering their college career. Some have bounced through residencies their whole life, while others exist in the same house since birth. Not to mention the stark contrast of doing laundry with your mother to sharing detergent with a stranger. 

So of course, the first entrance into the concrete-walled 2x4 is really daunting. Maybe the utilitarian engineer major is okay with this scene. The illustration major is splitting at the seams. Although this concept may not be important to everyone, the living environment shapes the college experience in one way or another. 

Within this article, we meet with three students who have mastered their habitation and turned it into something worth living for. Aesthetics aside, the definition of a living space is unique across all personalities. Grab a tea, and have a seat as our guest. 

Marisa

“I like my room to be a reflection of my personality and everything I admire. It’s like my ‘safe space’ that I can always go to when I need to work, think, or just relax. All my spaces have felt the same to me. I make my space my creative outlet and comfort area. This is very important to me. It’s where I find peace at the end of the day. I live with two roommates but we all value each other's personal space. We like to hang out together but we also respect when one of us wants to be alone. That’s why I love my room; it’s the one spot in a shared house that is always mine. My favorite items in my room are definitely my musical instruments and vinyl. Music is a big part of my personality, so I love that I can come home everyday and be reminded of what I love.” 

Elisa

“I define my space as a place for recharging. I like to display things I’ve made around my room, an ode to myself and the things I’m proud of. This is my second time living in a dorm and I definitely feel like I can recreate my space. Every dorm I’ve been in is just a different variation of my space. They all hold my favorite things, my decorations, my clothes, my art; this is what makes my space mine. 

I love inviting friends over. Sharing my space with my close friends is very intimate to me because I am letting others exist in a place I feel safe. I also like living alone. I recharge when I’m alone, when I have that independence. 

I do enjoy living in my space during moments of relaxation. I’m not anxious about being in my room all day; sometimes I need this. Other times though, I need to separate my home and work so I’ll be out all day and come back and relax. With everything in moderation, I try to balance work, school, and home life. 

One of my favorite items in my room is this shell I found when I went camping last October. It’s iridescent purple on the inside. I like to put my rings and watch in it before going to sleep. I also love all the art around my room.”

Natalia

“I love hosting! It is my favorite thing to do. My apartment is a bit small, but I still enjoy having all my friends come over to watch a movie or just hang out. I also definitely use it to recharge. I don’t typically do homework at home because I like to save my space for relaxation and comfort. If I bring school into the mix, I’ll just get stressed out. I treat it as my safe space. 

This is my second year being away from home and I must say I enjoy living in an apartment much more than in a dorm. Freshman year I roomed with one of my current roommates and she was great, but I definitely needed my own space and time away from others to function. This is also my first time having my own bathroom… and it is divine. I love not having to share a bathroom with anyone but myself, it makes it easier and faster to clean as well. I almost like my room in my apartment more than the room I have at home. My room here is much smaller than at home but it's cozier and I get my own bathroom like I said before. I’m probably going to stay in this apartment for the next two years so I have settled into my content pretty well. I love my decor; it makes it feel homey and my little trinkets from my family give me a sweet reminder of them. 

One of my favorite items is the mini skateboard my brother got me. He’s six years old and really into gift giving right now, so almost every time I come home without fail he has a present waiting for me. The mini skateboard reminds me of my childhood and it’s so cute so I put it out for display. When my grandmother passed, my family found a piece of her crochet. I framed it, and hung it above my closet; I love having something to honor her in my room. My room offers a sanctuary of relief when I need a recharge. I love having the sense of sharing and community while keeping my independence.