If you are like most college students, especially freshmen, you have been planning and scheming about your dorm room or apartment all summer. You have envisioned what it looks like – the colours and designs. You may even have a little bit anxiety if this is your first time away from home. Never fear! We are here to help you. First up is furnishing your dorm room or flat. You want it to be inviting and comfortable; a new place to call home. You want it to be fresh and reflect your style. But, you want it to be conducive to studying, after all, that is probably the main reason you are going to college. To help you spread your wings, we have put together a checklist of sorts to assist you in with the process of setting up your own living space.
☐ Space – measure your dorm room or apartment. How much space do you have? Measuring will save you some potential headaches. By knowing your space limitations you will not have to return something that does not fit.
☐ Is there ample room in the hallways, stairways and elevators to move furniture? Can you turn corners to get your new furniture in place?
☐ Define the essentials: bed, mattress, and bedding. Not only the mattress but the bed frame is important. There are many frames that have built in drawers underneath. This style could be perfect for your room, because space will be premium and organization will be important.
☐ Choose a workable desk that fits your computer, printer and has plenty of space for last minute cramming for exams.
☐ What about meals? Are you on the college meal plan or do you need to prepare your meals? Compact kitchen carts or dinettes may be the answer. Or, something that can be dual purposed for space saving and better organization. For instance, if you need a microwave, get a stand that has a fold down leaf that could be used for a dining table. If you have space, a compact dinette set may work and give you more space to spread out when you are studying.
☐ When you have been walking around campus all day from one class to another you will want to come home to your dorm room and have a comfortable chair to sit in. It might be something like a bean bag chair that you can scrunch in a corner when not in use. Or, you could go large with a futon or convertible chair or sofa bed that will give you extra sleeping room if you have overnight visitors.
☐ Amid your studies, you may find time to watch your favourite television show. Have your considered where to put a television? A small entertainment center or stand with storage drawers or shelves may help with organization and space saving.
☐ Make this space your own. Set it up in an organized, functional way, but yet comfortable and inviting – a space where you will kick back and relax as well as get some studying and good rest. Most of all enjoy!
It may be hard to believe, but it is proven fact that if you get a good night’s sleep (8 hours) you will perform better in school. There are a lot of fun activities to be a part of in college. There are sports, music, debate, and just plain fun to be had on top of studying. Sleep is going to be the key to enjoying it all.
A study published in the journal Science reports that the brain is making more connections while you sleep and actually reviewing the happenings of your day. The study showed that lack of sleep led to lack of memory. So, studying followed by a good night’s rest is more likely to result in better memory and therefore better grades.
There are several types of mattresses and as individuals we each like our own type. Some like firm, some soft, some in between. If it has been proven that good rest helps with better grades, we need to evaluate what we are sleeping on – the mattress. Let’s look at the types available.
Make sure the mattress you choose has adequate size so you can sleep comfortably and sleep well.
If you are cold when you sleep, a memory foam mattress may be the best for you. With the memory foam, you sink deeper into the mattress, so the mattress surrounds a greater portion of your body than a conventional mattress. Memory foam also retains heat. These two factors combined make for a warmer sleeping temperature.
A lot of people are too hot when they sleep and need to be cooled down. If this is the case for you, consider a coil mattress. More air is allowed for flow around the coils. Your body does not sink down so far, so overall you have a cooler sleeping experience.
Whatever mattress you choose, make sure you get one that supports the way you sleep the most. It is all about supporting and maintaining the spine’s natural curve and alignment while you sleep.
College is going to be an exciting time – new freedom, new friendships, and new experiences. Make sure you get off to a great start by setting up your dorm room or flat with the right furnishings – especially your mattress. Sleep will be critical to your success; and success is the goal.
Not sure where to start is shopping for your mattress? Wholesale Furniture Brokers of Kamloops, BC, Canada has everything you need at a reasonable price. Shop in the store today or order on line for easy delivery right to your dorm.
What are you going to sleep on when you go to college? What is your favourite type sleep position? We want to hear from you!
