Living in halls; top 5 tips

hey guys. i know this post is a little random and unrelated to my usual blogging content, but i have lost my blogging mojo recently and I i'm trying to easy myself back into it by just blogging about things that are important to me at the moment.

please bear in mind i tool these photo's without tidying up or anything, this is a true picture of what my room usually looks like!

this is the view from the doorway of my room. immediately to the left is my cupboard bathroom, which is about the size of a large public toilet cubicle, and houses a shower, toilet and sink. my room is quite a good size for student accomodation, and because these are newly built halls,  all rooms have ensuite bathrooms, meaning you dont have to pay extra for the privelage, and you don't have to share with other people.

Tip number 1: put photos EVERYWHERE. as much as you might think you cant wait to get away from your parents, you will miss them. wherever you move in there WILL be a pinboard, so use that, but i also wanted some framed pictures on the wall, so I mounted these using Command Picture Strips, though to be honest I think the Hooks are more versatile and useful.

Tip 2; check your inventory and DON'T DAMAGE ANYTHING.

accidents happen, but you need to be careful not to cause damage that could loose you your deposit, such as marking the walls by sticking things up using blu-tack or sellotape. command strips as mentioned above are availible from Rymans and WHSmith stores, and white tack is a better alternative to the blue version. if something is broken when you first move in, make sure you report it straight away; my university only allowed you 48 hours to report any damage or you would be blamed and charged for it.

be careful with the fixtures and fittings and don't try to change anything major. even changing a lightbulb yourself can sometimes be a breach of your accomodation agreement. the best thing to do if you have a problem is to speak to the relvant people on campus, who are most likely to be the residential services team, and bug them until they sort it out for you.

Tip 3; Get creative.

when i moved in to my flat, i found that the door to my bathroom is magnetic, and i use this to the full. i have pictures of my friends and family stuck up there, and i also have a load of ransom note letter magnets, which were hugely succesful for me. when people come to visit they love to leave a little message on my door, even if it is something a bit immature (see top left of picture!!). while not every room is going to have a magnetic door, there will certainly be little things that you can use to their full potential, and all it takes to find them is a little time getting to know your room.

Tip 4; maximise your storage

if you're a bit of a makeup junkie like me, chances are you'll have a bit of trouble storing everything compactly. while it's lovely to have eveything on display, that's just not practical in such a small space. these drawer dividers from ikea are great for makeup and small clothing items, like underwear.

i keep palettes in a metal mesh letter holder i got from WHSmith, and i store brushes in mugs i recieved as gifts or freebies. 

this is a view of my desk, and you can see that  keep my nail polishes on a small ledge that houses electrical cables. it is only just deep enough for the bottles, and otherwise would just be wated space.

my final tip relates to food. small, grabable food should be kept in your room, not in the kitchen. A, because when you want that sort of thing you don't want to have to go far to get it, and B, because that is the typ of food that is most likely to get nabbed by other people you live with. I trust everyone i live with, but in the past, when i've had snacks in the kitchen, tey have gone missing, so its best to keep a snack box close at hand in your room! it's also useful if, like me, you have to head out to work and you need to have something with you to get you through your shift. i work very antisocial hours and it means that i basically never get regular meals, so i'm always grabbingthings out of here before i run out the door.

 i hope you enjoyed, and i promise i'm trying to get back to blogging properly as soon as possible.

what are YOUR top tips for uni life?