6 Ways to Make Your BYU-I Student Housing Feel Like Home

Living in student housing can feel temporary at first. It might feel unfamiliar and like you’re surrounded by walls you can’t quite make your own. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. With a few intentional touches, you can turn your apartment into a real home.

When your college apartment feels comfortable and like home, it’s easier to study, rest, and settle in. Read on to discover six ways to make your BYU-I student housing apartment feel more like home. 

Personalize Your Space with Photos and Decor

Small touches throughout your rental are an easy way to make it feel more like your own. Hanging a few sentimental photos or a string of fairy lights can turn a plain space into one that looks like you live there. 

Here are ways to personalize your space:



• Bring photos from home to place around your apartment. Whether it’s photos of you and your friends on a vacation or family photos, seeing familiar faces every day makes a new space feel a little less new.
• Hang fairy lights around your bedroom to bring it to life with a warm and soft glow. A little extra light can make your room feel cozier. 
• Use removable wall hooks to hang your favorite posters, whether it’s your favorite band or a movie you love. 

Make sure to use renter-friendly decor, such as peel-and-stick decals, to avoid damaging the walls. 

Bring Familiar Comforts from Home

Ease homesickness by surrounding yourself with a few of your favorite belongings from home. A cozy blanket or your favorite mug can make a new apartment feel more comfortable, and even small touches like these can take the edge off your first few weeks living in a new place. 

Here are a few ideas:

• Keep your favorite blanket or pillow on your bed so your room feels like your own when you walk in.
• Bring a mug from home and use it for your tea each morning. A small habit like this can help you settle into a familiar routine. 
• Put small keepsakes, such as a journal or beloved book, somewhere you can reach for them regularly.

Set Up a Cozy, Functional Living Room

Shared living rooms in BYU-I student housing are a great opportunity to create a space everyone actually wants to hang out in. A few small touches can make the space a welcoming place for you, your roommates, and friends to spend time and make memories together. 

Try these ideas:

• Add a colorful rug to tie the space together and give it some personality. Rugs can warm up a plain floor and make the living room feel more cozy to walk around. 
• Arrange your furniture in a circle so it’s easy for everyone to hang out and watch movies together. 
• Buy a few throw pillows in patterns you love so the living room feels like it belongs to you.

Build Routines that Make Your Apartment Feel Lived In

Adjusting to a new routine in a new apartment can feel hectic at first. But small habits, such as cooking dinner once a week with your roommates, can turn a space you’re still getting used to into one that doesn’t just feel like an empty apartment. It starts to feel lived in. 

Try incorporating these habits into your week:

• Set aside time for a weekly cleaning session to keep the space feeling fresh and share chores with your roommates. 
• Start a morning routine. Whether it’s a 20-minute yoga session each morning or a quiet cup of tea before class, starting your day the same way can help your apartment feel more like yours.
• Share meals with roommates whenever you can. It’s an easy way to build a routine, and it also helps you build bonds with each other. 

Get to Know Your Roommates Early

An apartment feels more like home when the people living in it aren’t strangers. Simple gestures like cooking together can help you build friendships and make your space feel more inviting and exciting to come home to.

Here are ways to connect with your roommates:

• Cook dinner together the first week you move in to break the ice before classes get busy.
• Start a shared tradition, such as going to the farmers market each week to buy flowers for the apartment.
• Plan a regular movie or game night, and invite other neighbors or friends to join in. 

Make the Space Reflect Your Interests

Surround yourself with things you enjoy to make your space feel uniquely yours. Bringing your hobbies into your apartment can add life and make the space feel like a reflection of who you are. 

Try these ideas:

• Place your favorite books or magazines on a windowsill to make a quiet corner feel a little more like you.
• Add plants for a pop of life and color throughout the apartment. Succulents are an easy plant to keep alive, even when the semester gets busy.
• Dedicate a corner in your room or the living room to hobbies, such as puzzles or board games, that you can enjoy on your own or invite roommates to join.

Turn Your NorthPoint Apartment into a Home

Feeling at home in your college apartment is an important part of the experience. It’s where you’ll study for finals, unwind after a long day, and spend time with the roommates who become friends. 

BYU-I student housing at NorthPoint Apartments gives you a space you can make your own, with the freedom to add personal touches and turn an apartment into a place that truly feels like home.

Reach out today to check student housing availability.