The Top Five Dorm-Friendly Plants

If you want to spruce up your windowsill or just show off your green thumb, plants are a great way to decorate and enjoy your dorm space. The key is finding the right plant for the right person. Here are five simple plants that any student can cultivate inside a dorm room.

1) Lucky Bamboo - These decorative plants are hardy and require only water to grow. They are generally sold in small, decorative pots that can be used for many years. The bamboo itself can be nestled amongst a handful of small pebbles and a few cups of water. The plant will grow with time, so be prepared to upgrade the pot as needed (usually once every three or so years).
2) Venus Flytrap - Exotic, creepy and definitely cool! Venus Flytraps are small and simple to take care of. Suspend the pot over a cup of water and continually fill the reservoir so that the soil is damp and swampy. The plant does not require bugs to thrive, but if you swat an annoying fly, you can pop it into a trap and watch nature take its digestive course. Every so often (usually in the spring), a long white flower stalk will appear. Snip this stalk--it eats up energy that the rest of the plant can use. And don't trigger the traps unnecessarily--the plant will die off if you do.
3) African Violet - Another small plant, the African Violet is beautiful and simple. Keep the soil nice and moist and avoid keeping the plant in a windowsill that gets direct sunlight. The plant doesn't like drafty conditions and will burn out with too much sun. A nice home on a shelf or desk will suit it just fine, and the blossoms will add to the space's charm.
4) Bonsai Tree - These gorgeous mini-trees are both fun to care for and fascinating to look at. Constant care is needed, though the work is far from difficult. Trimming branches, removing old leaves and providing enough water are the most common tasks. The pot itself can be decorated as a sort of mini-landscape limited by only the imagination. These plants vary from variety-to-variety, so be sure to do your homework before you purchase. They also tend to be rather expensive. However, if properly cultivated, the trees will be fantastic additions to any room, dorm or otherwise, for years to come.
5) Mini Herb Garden - If you have a bit more space and a little more time to care for your green friends, an herb garden can provide you with beautiful, delicious results. Many supermarkets and home-supply stores sell pre-boxed herb gardens with pots, soil and seeds. However, a trip to the local garden center will allow you to cultivate your own choice of herbs and spices. After growing them, you can truly savor the fruits of your labor. Fresh basil, pungent chives and spicy spearmint can turn any salad or main course into a culinary delight. The herbs will also provide luscious aromas when picked and dried.

These plants are all simple to care for, and if properly attended to, they will provide you with many rewards. Enjoy them!

The Art of Dorm Laundry

Laundry and dorm life aren't known for coexistence. It takes a little discipline, a bit of diligence and a lot of tricks to get the wash done before it piles up.

First, keep your time in the laundry room to a minimum. Laundry rooms are generally not particularly nice, and most laundry-related tasks can easily be accomplished in the comfort of your own room. Buy two inexpensive vertical hampers. By avoiding bulky baskets, you can save yourself quite a bit of floorspace while maximizing efficiency. After you've worn an outfit, separate it however you'd like (personally, I separate my laundry into colors and whites). Use the two hampers to differentiate so you don't have to sort later on. Pretreat deep stains before you leave the room--a brief consultation with Martha Stewart's Stain Removal Chart might just save your stained shirt!

Next, set your laundry schedule. It might sound odd, but it will save you the hassle of rushing to finish a few loads of laundry at the last minute. Count the number of outfits you have, minus one. This number will determine how many days you can go before having to do the wash. So if you have eight pairs of pants and thirteen shirts, you subtract one from eight (the number of pairs of pants) and find yourself doing laundry once a week. That way, if something comes up and you can't fit laundry in on that day, you'll still have one clean outfit left.

Decide on a common time to put the wash in, but aim for off-times. For example, I usually try to do all of my laundry late on Friday nights (after 10:00 PM) or early Friday mornings (6:00 AM). There are no lines, there is no one around to move your delicates into an overly hot drier and you can work on homework or other housekeeping projects while you wait for the loads to finish. If you have to do your laundry during the day, try to get it done while many people are at class--approximately 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. It'll save you from unnecessary headaches! You should also time your laundry and pick it up in a timely manner. It is rude to keep others waiting while your fresh linens sit in a long-forgotten machine.

I recommend folding laundry in one's room. It is easier to organize everything, and you can listen to music or the television. I always fold my shirts in a neat, organized manner as seen in this video. The fold is a bit tricky at first, but after you figure it out, it takes just under two seconds to complete. Pile your folded shirts, pants and other laundry in stacks of similar items so that you can quickly and easily transfer the piles into your drawers.

Most people think of dorm rooms as havens for old, smelly laundry. But with these tips, you can avoid the stigma and always be assured that a fresh, crisp outfit is waiting for you.

Decoration Tip - Colored Bottles

If your dorm room is looking a little sparse and searching for some juicy colors, here's a quick tip to bring the spectrum in!

All you need is a windowsill (or a table that lines up with the lower edge of the window if you don't have a sill), six or seven clear glass soda bottles (I love the bottles from the Jones Soda Company myself), some food dye and enough water to fill the bottles.

First, decide on a theme for the colors. Do you want the light to shine through a certain color and drape the room in that hue? Or do you want a bunch of haphazard vivacious colors? It's up to you.

Next, clean the bottles if you haven't already and fill about 95% of each bottle with water. Leave just a little room at the top. You can leave the label on or take it off, it is up to you.

Now comes the fun part! Using the food dye, color each bottle exactly how you'll want it. In my room at home, I have crimson walls and a red motif. So I filled four of my seven bottles with red dye and the others with yellow, blue and green. The varying colors add just enough interest to make it eye catching without making it too overwhelming.

Place the bottles in a sunny window and enjoy! This project is quick, simple and most importantly, cheap!

The Pro's and Con's of... Double Rooms

College is a truly unique experience. There is nothing else like it. You live with a group of people who are within four years of your age, you eat food cooked by someone you don't know for every meal and you go to classes as haphazardly as your self-designed schedule permits. With dorm living, there is always a bit of uncertainty, especially when it comes to roommates.

For your first year on campus, you are likely to be placed in a tiny room with someone you've never met. It really is a crapshoot. Some people find their best friend and confidant in a roommate. Others face off against Satan. Here are a few tips for dealing with your new roommate and finding tranquility and peace of mind.

Before you even step foot in your dorm room, you should have talked about the bare essentials with your roommate. Who is bringing the television/microwave/fridge? What are you going to share, and what are you going to each need to bring? What are the ground rules on significant others or friends spending time in the room? Work together to lay down the foundation for how you expect to treat one another.

The biggest thing to remember when first dealing with a roommate is that he or she is in the same boat as you. Your new roommate is new to the campus, he doesn't know anyone, he is likely overwhelmed and he is ready to explore this new lifestyle. If you hit it off right away, that's great. But if your new roommate seems shy, scared, anxious or depressed, don't assault him with over-aggressive kindness. Give him some room and slowly try to build up a list of interests you have in common. Maybe you both like a particular television show, or maybe you have the same course schedule. Start small and let it blossom. If you're a social butterfly who makes friends quickly, invite him along and help him integrate.

From here, the relationship can turn any number of ways. You might slowly become good friends. You might never speak to one another. You might grow mutually resentful of one another, or you might even consider moving out halfway through the year. Anything can happen. Regardless of what happens, here is a list of the pro's and con's of a double room.

PROS

• In a double room, you share everything including responsibility. Vacuuming and cleaning aren't on one person's shoulders.
• You'll always have someone around to talk to and interact with. This is a huge plus if you're a fan of video games, gossip or power in numbers.
• If you can live with someone in such a small space for so long without going off the deep end, you'll be a better person in the end. It takes a lot of compromises, disagreements and growing up to successfully master life with a roommate.
• Even if you don't get along, you're likely to find someone else who doesn't particularly care for his or her roommate either. After all, misery loves company.
  

CONS

• If you don't get along, there's nowhere private to retreat. It's a matter of waiting it out and being a bigger person.
• You have to share nearly everything, including personal space. If you're a solitary person, the transition is far from easy.
• Roommates can be friends, but sometimes even friends fight. Little quirks like insomnia, late-night study habits and annoying laughs can instigate major problems.
  

As you can see, living with a roommate definitely has its ups and downs. In my opinion, it all depends on your individual situation. My freshman year, I lived with someone who was rather quiet and reserved, and though we didn't fight, we didn't talk or particularly get along. Next year, though, I'm excited to live with my best friend.

Try your best to make life with a roommate livable, and in the end, you'll likely have a great friend coming out of the process. It's completely worth it.

But...I forgot!!!

In my last entry, I gave you a bunch of things you shouldn't leave home without. But what happens if you forget? Here's a recap of the list with ways to procure these elusive essentials.

10) Band-aids : If you're in a scramble for a little first-aid but you've forgotten to BYOBand-aids, the first place to look for some would be your friendly new neighbors. Someone is likely to have brought a few. Even if no one has a package of them, it's likely that someone will have a first-aid kit with a few available. If all else fails, hall offices or campus convenience stores and bookstores are likely to stock them.
9) Plastic flatware, plates and cups : A lot of take-out places now offer bundles of these for free with your order. But if you're still up the creek without a paddle, the best place to look would be the dining halls or food stands around campus. You can probably get a cup or plate if you ask politely. Most campuses are near enough to a supermarket that you could always walk over and do a quick shopping spree.
8) Heavy-duty packing tape : The best place to find tape (and other artsy supplies) is, of course, the art department! If you aren't allowed to borrow some from there, you can always try the local post office or bookstore. Chances are that other residents are hanging up posters and the like, so feel free to ask around too. Bartering can be a great thing!
7) A large trunk with a combination lock : There's really no easy (or cheap) solution if you forget one of these. You can try hiding valuables deep in a drawer, beneath a mattress or in your shoes, but these locations aren't secure (or too obscure, for that matter). The only way out might be a quick call back home with a plea to visit soon - trunk in tow, of course.
6) Twine and light-weight opaque fabric : If you forget twine, one of the easiest (and strongest) alternatives is dental floss. Sure, it may be minty fresh, but it'll get the job done. Opaque fabric can be replaced with colorful bedsheets, extra blankets or colorful paper (for the truly desperate).
5) Foldable drying rack : Possibly the simplest item to replace on this entire list, drying racks merely make an easy task even easier. If you don't feel like stringing floss around your room, you can always drape your jeans, socks and other linens over open drawers, headboards, desks, chairs, window frames and anywhere else that juts out. Leave to dry for a few hours with the windows open and voila! You'll have dry laundry before you know it. Fans circulate air and make the task fly by.
4) Flashlight : If all else fails... Cell phones will give off just enough light for you to get around. The same goes for laptops on battery charges. Neither solution is preferable, obviously, but if you're in the dark, you'll want some way to navigate around.
3) Single-serve drink mixes : If you forget these, all hope is not lost. They'd be difficult to find around campus, so you'd need to go to the supermarket. Most campuses have a convenience store where you can buy bottles of pre-made iced tea, juice or other beverages. These should hold you over til you can get to the store.
2) At least one dressy outfit : The key word here is: friends. Even if you can't find a single friend with just the right outfit, you can ask around and make the best of the situation. You can borrow a top from Person A, slacks or a skirt from Person B and shoes from that elusive Person C. Clean everything when you're done and return it promptly, and if you have a few extra cookies from home in your fridge, it never hurts to give a sweet thank-you.
1) A needle and thread : It's not easy to replace the age-old needle and thread. However, there's usually a rising homemaker somewhere on every floor who would be delighted to let you borrow their sewing kit. If there isn't, you can always try temporary safety pins. If all else fails, and I mean all else, you can try your best with a stapler and some crossed fingers. After all, when you're in a pinch, anything goes.

-Alex Seise

The Top Ten Things You'd Likely Forget To Pack...

Moving out on your own for the first time can be a daunting experience. You need to think about everything--clothes, linens, entertainment, toiletries and so many other things. Often, people tend to overlook some of the simpler items to pack, little things that make big differences. Here's a list of ten things that no college-bound student should be without on move-in day.

10) Band-aids : We're all human, and we all get cuts, scrapes and abrasions. Most freshmen forget to pack these essentials, and when some minor first-aid is in order, there's a scramble to find someone nearby who has them on-hand.
9) Plastic flatware, plates and cups : It might seem like fun to have matching silverware, plates and mugs. However, that fun wears off when the after-use cleaning kicks in. Disposable is the way to go (after all, you'll need to reheat leftover pizza or Chinese take-out at some point or another).
8) Heavy-duty packing tape : Empty dorm rooms tend to look like prison cells. Their walls also tend to be made of cinder blocks or equally terrible materials that don't take kindly to Scotch tape. Heavy-duty packing tape is the way to go when regular tape, staples or thumb tacks just won't cut it. It comes in huge rolls that'll last for your entire college career.
7) A large trunk with a combination lock : Roommates are like boxes of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get. On move-in day, you might find your new best friend. Or, you might find a junkie you wouldn't trust with your pet rock. Regardless, until you know for sure, you'll want a trunk to store your valuables (laptop, wallet/purse, DVDs, etc.). That way, you won't have to worry about what's going on with your stuff while you're at class.
6) Twine and light-weight opaque fabric : Also on the subject of unknown roomies, you could get stuck with a normal day creature or a vampire. If you have trouble sleeping with lights on, you'll want to building a curtain around your bed so you can easily get a good night's rest. If your beds are bunked and you're on the lower bunk, wrap the twine around the posts, encircling the entire bed. Drape the fabric over the twine. If you're on the top bunk or if the beds are not bunked, use the walls, bedposts or ceiling to make a similar contraption. It'll also give you a bit more privacy while you snooze!
5) Foldable drying rack : College washers and dryers aren't always reliable, and you won't want to use wet towels every night. A foldable drying rack is the perfect solution. If you reuse your towels to conserve water and laundry space, you can hang them overnight to dry. And if the dryers are on the fritz and you can't seem to get your clothes crisp, you can hang them too.
4) Flashlight : This is something I wouldn't ever leave home without. Even a simple keychain flashlight will do. The power likely will go out at some point during your dorm life, and you won't want to be stuck in the dark. Candles are a no-no, so you'll want some way of navigating around.
3) Single-serve drink mixes : These will become immeasurably important when you compare the prices of bulked materials versus single servings of pre-made drinks such as iced tea, lemonade and fruit punch. To buy about 24 bottles worth of water and single-serve mix packets, you'll spend around $10. To buy 24 bottles of iced tea, you'll spend closer to $30. That's a big difference, especially for a student whose every last penny has to count! And trust me, you'll want to have something more flavorful than water (even if only once in a while).
2) At least one dressy outfit : You never know when you'll haphazardly need to dress up. Maybe an interview will transpire out of the blue. Maybe a semi-formal will creep up when you least expect it. Regardless, having one formal outfit on hand will save you headaches when you least expect them. Just put it in your closet and forget that it's there--that is, until the day comes when you need to look just a bit nicer than usual!
1) A needle and thread : It goes without saying, you've gotta be prepared for whatever comes your way. When you're away at college, rips and tears and lost buttons are going to happen. You're going to need to deal with them by yourself without a parent around to help out. Know the basic stitches, get a simple needle and some thread and buy a few extra buttons to keep on hand. You'll be glad you did, trust me.

-Alex Seise

Welcome to DormSpace!

Welcome to DormSpace with Alex Seise! This site will provide numerous columns with tips, hints and ideas designed to make your college life easier, more organized and just plain better. The columns are produced, written and published by Alex Seise, a sophomore at The College of New Jersey.

To search for individual topics, use the convenient sidebar along the right of the site to navigate tagged posts.

If you have suggestions, questions or comments, you can either post a comment on the article or contact Alex directly via e-mail (seise2 at tcnj dot edu) or AIM (WhereIsAlexAtNow). And, of course, be sure to add Alex as a friend on Facebook by clicking here.

Whether you're an incoming freshman or final-semester senior, DormSpace will help you to get organized and will provide the best tips and suggestions for all college students. Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Alex Seise