October 24, 2016collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES

From dorms to apartments and everything in between, here’s what you need to know about...

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COLLEGIATETIMES

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Like most freshmen, I fantasized about

moving off-campus for my second year of

college. I found a great group of friends

early on who lived on the same hall as I did

and who I would eventually sign a lease

with at The Village. My Pinterest board was

filled with loads of pins of cute bed spreads

and shower curtains. In my mind, I was

completely ready for off-campus life.

I moved into my apartment and thought

I had absolutely everything I needed. Over

the summer I drafted list after list, making

sure that there were no kitchen supplies or

other necessities left behind. However, after

my third trip to Walmart with my parents

on the day I moved in, I realized how wrong

I was.

A can opener, extension cords and

tupperware — all essential components of

my apartment that I had completely over-

looked because there was simply no need

for them in my tiny dorm room. Aside from

the small things that had gone unnoticed, I

felt like I needed more of everything. More

towels, more food, more furniture. The list

of things I needed seemed like a never-

ending abyss.

After my parents had left, I was relieved

that I could just relax in my brand new

space. At first, the quiet of my apartment

was calming. There were no people obnox-

iously screaming right outside of my room

or jokingly knocking on my door; it was

just silent, and I loved it. However, after a

while I began to miss the hustle and bustle

that came with living on a hall with about

30 other girls who were all in the same

situation.

I missed walking down the hallway full

of open doors, the study lounges stuffed to

capacity with people who were cramming

for a Monday morning exam on a Sunday

night and the group trips to the dining

hall with anyone who just happened to be

hungry around the same time I was.

I think I can speak for most people who

move off-campus when I say not having a

meal plan was the biggest transition from

dorm life to apartment living. Nothing

beats rolling out of your bed on a Saturday

morning (even if it is lofted), throwing on

sweats, rolling into Owens Food Court and

grabbing the most delicious waffle you

have ever tasted.

Now, my breakfast choices usually

consist of scrambled eggs or pizza rolls.

Since making scrambled eggs requires

washing dishes, you can probably guess

which of the two I usually choose.

Eventually, I learned to embrace the quiet

and privacy my apartment offers. I made a

point of creating my room into a peaceful

space perfect for studying, and I really came

to appreciate it as the weeks passed.

At the end of a long day of classes, I truly

look forward to coming home to a spot that

is mine and mine alone. From the decor to

the fact that I don’t have a roommate who I

have to share my bedroom with, having that

personal space makes long days of studying

a bit more bearable.

Aside from the big advantages like not

having an RA and having my own room,

moving into an apartment was the next step

towards becoming fully independent that

I think every college student should expe-

rience. Now that I have fully adjusted to my

apartment, I couldn’t imagine moving back

into the dorms. Dorm life works for some

people, but I’m just not one of them.

There are small things here and there

that I miss on occasion, but the biggest

difference is this: I was never able to

consider my dorm room home, and having

a place that I can call home is worth every

inconvenience that may come with moving

into an apartment.

FILE 2015

A view of The Edge apartment complex on Webb Street, near Prices Fork Road.

Transitioning from dorm life to apartment livingFor many underclassmen, the move from campus to an apartment can be stressful and overwhelming. Read

on to see the pros and cons of off-campus living as an upperclassman student at Virginia Tech.

SAMANTHA SMITHlifestyles editor

@CollegiateTimes

New housing complexes seem to open

every year around Blacksburg, yet there are

existing housing options with space available.

The question is, are there more housing units

than necessary to accommodate the Virginia

Tech off-campus population?

On the Virginia Tech Off-Campus Housing

Service website, there are three housing

options listed as “Available Now”: Windsor

Hills Apartments, Terrace View Apartments

and a house on Wharton Street.

On sites such as Craigslist and

MyApartmentMap, there are at least 10

apartment options advertised to rent in the

immediate area around the Virginia Tech

campus. These include Sturbridge Square

Apartments, Windsor Hills Apartments,

Lantern Ridge Apartments, Whipple Drive

Apartments and Pheasant Run.

Though there is currently available housing

in and around Blacksburg, construction of

The Retreat was approved in March of 2015

and opened for residency in August 2016.

The Edge, another apartment complex within

a mile of campus, opened in 2015. Both The

Retreat and The Edge are considered luxury

living for college students.

Is there a need for new apartments to be

constructed every year, or is the purpose

to create a desire for nicer, more expensive

housing options?

One explanation could be that Blacksburg

truly needs more housing. Considering the

surge in applications for admission to the Class

of 2020, more students than ever at Virginia

Tech are seeking housing.

It was stated in a VT News article this

February that, “This year’s more than 25,200

applicants represents a 12 percent increase

over last year and continues a trend of growth

in applications.”

Enrollment continues to increase each year,

which means more students are searching for

housing.

With increased enrollment, the push

to move off campus grows stronger. This

was especially true last year when delayed

construction and a larger freshman class

than anticipated rendered the residence halls

over-capacity.

While seeking to find space for the influx

of Blacksburg residents, the construction

of newer, luxury apartments could be part

of a bigger picture to make housing more

affordable.

Blacksburg Mayor Ron Rordam stated in a

Roanoke Times article, centered on President

Sands’ plans to grow the Virginia Tech student

body, that, “Blacksburg is already looking

at the problems and advantages of student

housing increases, and has commissioned

a study that has identified adding high-end

student housing units as a path toward housing

affordability. Rordam said the study, which

hasn’t yet been finalized, identified not a need,

but a market for luxury housing for up to 5,000

additional students.”

Since the publishing of the Roanoke Times

article, the study mentioned was finalized and

conducted by the Virginia Center for Housing

Research. According to the study’s findings,

regarding the percent of income required to

afford housing in Blacksburg since 2009, the

cost burden rate has dropped overall from 42.8

percent to 36.7 percent. A housing cost burden

occurs when more than 30 percent of a house-

hold’s income is spent on housing.

According to a Roanoke Times article

concerning approval of The Retreat, “Council

members said that they had no doubt that Tech

is bound to grow, and while the town is not

responsible for housing students, they have to

live somewhere.”

While the seemingly constant construction

on and around campus could appear excessive,

there is a method to the madness. Virginia

Tech is in fact continuing to grow and students

are filling complexes such as The Retreat and

The Edge along with the existing facilities.

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A look at how new, off-campus housing options increase as the student body continues to grow at Virginia Tech. Are these increases necessary?

KATIE RICElifestyles staff writer

FILE 2015

A view of The Village Phase II apartment complex.

@CollegiateTimes

“This year’s more than 25,200

applicants represents a 12

percent increase over last

year and continues a trend of

growth in applications.”

Jennifer T. Harrisdirector of communications

Student housing increases — are they necessary?

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For most students who live off campus,

the Blacksburg Transit system is the

lifeline between the various apartment

complexes in town and campus. Some are

lucky and can afford a parking pass, but the

rest of us have to show up at the bus stop a

half hour before class starts in rain, snow

and everything in between.

The bus schedule can be intimidating

if it is your first time living off campus,

so here is a breakdown of the different bus

lines that connect Tech to the rest of the

Blacksburg and Christiansburg area.

CRC/Hospital

This line provides service from the

Drillfield all the way to the Corporate

Research Center. The on-campus time

check for this line is at Newman library,

leaving at five minutes, 25 minutes

and 45 minutes after the hour. The off-

campus time check is at the Knollwood

Apartments, with buses departing at 10

minutes, 30 minutes and 50 minutes after

the hour.

This route starts at 6:45 a.m. and runs

until 6:25 p.m. After 6:25 p.m., the bus only

runs from Newman Library to the VCOM

stop until 9:30 p.m. This line only runs

during the week and when Virginia Tech

classes are in session.

Hethwood/Harding Avenue

The Harding Avenue line has stops

along Roanoke Street and Harding Avenue,

returning to campus. The Hethwood line

is split into two lines, Hethwood A and

Hethwood B, each running every 10–15

minutes until 7 p.m. and providing service

to Foxridge and Hethwood Apartment

Homes.

These routes combine during the week

after 9:15 p.m. and during times of reduced

service and weekends. The on-campus

time check for the Hethwood A line is at

Burruss Hall, with an off-campus time

check at Stroubles Circle. The Hethwood B

on-campus time check is at Torgersen Hall,

with its off-campus time check at Tall Oaks

and Foxhunt.

Hokie Express

This route does a loop, connecting

KAILA NATHANIEL / COLLEGIATE TIMES

A cadet boards a Blacksburg Transit bus, Oct. 18, 2016.

When moving off campus, one of the biggest changes students must grow accustomed to is using the bus to get to Virginia Tech’s campus.

SAMANTHA SMITHlifestyles editor

Navigating Blacksburg Transit

campus and the Oak Lane Community,

and only runs during full service times.

Between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., this

line runs every 15 minutes, and it runs every

30 minutes on evenings and weekends.

Monday through Thursday, the route

will run continuously from 7 a.m. until

12:45 a.m., going until 2:45 a.m. on Fridays.

Service for Saturdays will go from 10:30

a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. until 2:45 a.m.,

with Sunday hours from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30

p.m. and 5 p.m. through 11:15 p.m.

Main Street

During normal full-service weekdays,

this line will run from 7 a.m. until 6:45 p.m.,

coming every 15 to 20 minutes. After 6:45

p.m., this line will run on an hourly basis

until 12:15 a.m. Monday through Thursday,

until 2:15 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and

until 11:15 p.m. on Sundays.

This route goes along Main Street from

Whipple Drive off of North Main all the way

down to Industrial Park Drive off of South

Main. There is a time check for both of these

routes at Squires East and Squires West, with

an off-campus time check at Fairfax Road

and Liberty Lane.

Patrick Henry

This route runs during the week from 7

a.m. through 6:45 p.m. and until 5:30 p.m.

on Fridays, only running during full service

times. Since North Main, Progress Street

and University Boulevard no longer serve

the Seneca Drive, Patrick Henry Drive and

Progress Street areas, this route serves as a

supplement to those routes. As of Sept. 21

of this semester, this route now has a time

check at Torgersen Hall, with an off-campus

time check at Patrick Henry and Seneca

Westbound.

Progress Street

This route makes a loop from Squires

Student Center, to North Main Street, to

Progress Street and then to Patrick Henry

Drive and Toms Creek Road. There is an

on-campus time check at Squires Student

Center as well as an off-campus time check

at The Village on Patrick Henry.

Monday through Friday, this route runs

from 7 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. about every 10

to 15 minutes. Monday through Thursday

after 3:15 p.m., this route will run until 9:30

p.m. for every 15 minutes. On Fridays after

3:15 p.m., this route will run until 9:15 p.m.,

stopping every 15 minutes until 5:45 p.m.,

when stops will occur every half hour.

Toms Creek B

The Toms Creek B route has service

on Toms Creek Road, University City

Boulevard where the Chasewood Downs

and Shawnee apartments are located, Patrick

Henry Drive and Progress Street. The route

runs from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. during normal

service hours during the week, coming

every 10 minutes until 12:30 p.m. when it

then changes to every 15 minutes and then

switches again to every 30 at 5:45 p.m.

However, anyone who rides this bus knows

that runs are more like 15 or 17 minutes

apart, and what used to be a reliable bus now

is never on time since the UCB construction.

The bus comes on late nights Mondays

through Thursdays from 10:30 p.m. until

12:30 a.m. hourly and until 2:30 a.m. on

Fridays. On Saturdays the bus runs from

9:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. and Sundays from

11:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.

Two Town Trolley

The Two Town Trolley provides service to

Christiansburg stopping at popular locations

such as the New River Mall, Wal-Mart and

LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, departing

from Squires East. Due to its popularity, the

New River Mall serves as the off-campus

time check for this route. On Monday

through Friday, the bus runs from 7:15 a.m.

to 5:15 p.m. with a gap between 10:15 a.m. to

12:15 p.m.

During the day on Saturdays, the bus runs

10:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and runs Sundays

from 12:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Late-night

service is offered on Friday and Saturday

nights, running from 6:15 p.m. to 12:15 a.m.

This route comes every hour during late-

night service and does not stop at the hospital

on the weekends.

University Mall Shuttle/University

City Boulevard

The University City Boulevard route

provides service from main campus to

the Sturbridge apartments and was added

as a year-round route in July due to the

construction on University City Boulevard.

The UCB route runs from 7 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.

every 15 to 20 minutes Monday through

Thursday. On Friday, the UCB route runs

from 7 a.m. until 3:25 p.m. every 10 to 15

minutes.

The UMall route runs from 8:45 a.m.

to 5:25 p.m. every 20 minutes. At 5:45,

the UMall route will provide service to

University Mall and Sturbridge Square

apartments every 15 minutes until 9:45 p.m.

Monday through Thursday. After 9:45 p.m.,

the bus will stop hourly until 11:45 p.m. On

Friday, the UMall bus will run from 8:45

a.m. to 9:55 p.m. every 20 minutes, serving

Sturbridge Square after 3:30 p.m.

The Friday late-night hours start at 10:45

and continue on until 1:45 a.m., coming

every hour. On Saturdays and Sundays, the

UMall route will service both Sturbridge

and University Mall. On Saturday, service

will go from 8:55 a.m. to 1:55 a.m., coming

every hour. On Sunday, UMall service will

start at 11:45 a.m. until 10:45 p.m., with a bus

coming every hour.

After a few days of taking the bus on a

regular basis, the schedules and routes will

begin to make much more sense. Until then,

Blacksburg Transit does have an app that

you can use on your smartphone, or you can

always check its website for route changes

and updates. However, beware — while

we do have a great overall bus system in

Blacksburg, with all of the construction and

changes this semester, the risk of late buses

or a skipped run always lurks.

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It was the end of junior year and I was

running out of options for where to live my

senior year — thankfully, I heard about

The Retreat through a friend and signed the

lease immediately. It has now been nearly

two months since I have been living at The

Retreat, and overall I am very happy with it.

The biggest complaint I hear from

people is that The Retreat is simply too far

from campus and the reality of it is, it’s not.

Prior to living at The Retreat, I spent my

sophomore and junior years at The Village.

From The Village to Burruss Hall by car it

would take an average of five minutes; at

The Retreat, it is no different.

Now, if you do not have a car that is where

you might feel the distance. However, The

Retreat has done its best to accommodate

for that by bringing out a new bus route

called Carpenter Boulevard.

The bus route stops right next to the

clubhouse every 25 and 55 minutes on the

hour during the week, so as long as you plan

accordingly there should be no issue being

late to class.

The Retreat even offers a more fitness-

based travel option by having a bike share

program similar to the Citi-bikes you see

in New York City. Simply download the

app, reserve a bike and make your way to

campus.

The biggest issue I have with The Retreat

is the pricing. The cheapest housing option

at The Retreat is $635, not including

furniture or electricity. The price alone

almost drove me away from choosing The

Retreat until I looked at all the amenities

that are offered.

I have visited friends in many different

complexes around Blacksburg and I can

say with certainty that The Retreat by far

has the best amenities. The clubhouse is

the nicest and largest I have ever seen,

including a two story gym, a computer lab

with a free printer, a small cafe and a mail

room. There is also a ton of study space

including two private study lounges, two

pool tables, a golf simulator, two tanning

beds, an outdoor deck, a sauna and a shower.

To top it all off, the clubhouse is open 24/7

to residents.

Outside of the clubhouse, The Retreat

offers a huge pool area that overlooks the

hills. The pool area includes huge flat

screen TVs, grills, a surround-sound music

system, outdoor couches, hammocks,

a volleyball court and plenty of lounge

chairs. This area is open every day until 10

p.m. and residents are allowed to bring two

guests with them. Outside of the pool area,

there is a running trail that goes around the

complex for anyone who enjoys outdoor

jogs.

As for the living spaces themselves,

the interior of The Retreat is really nice. I

currently live in a five bedroom Tallmadge

and the space is large enough to fit all five of

us comfortably. My room is very spacious,

it includes a private bathroom and walk-in

closet.

Since my roommates and I chose the

furnished option when we signed our lease,

we were all given a tempurpedic queen-

sized bed. The living room and kitchen

space is also very spacious and filled with

nice utilities. On top of that, The Retreat is

pet friendly.

The only other issue I have aside from

the price is with trash. The Retreat has

decided to place only one trash dump for

the entire complex in the far corner of the

complex. I live on the other side of the

complex, so I usually have to drive my trash

to the dump. It has the space to place other

smaller dumps around the complex, but for

some reason it has yet to do so. Granted this

isn’t much of an issue when I think about all

that is offered to me at this complex, I would

rate The Retreat a four out of five stars.

ARMAHN RASSULIphoto editor

@CollegiateTimes

CHRISTIAN STERLING / COLLEGIATE TIMES

A view of the newly constructed buildings in The Retreat complex on Prices Fork Road.

An insider’s look: Living at The Retreat

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Hunting for the perfect home away from home

Fall leaves students of all years

searching for a place to live the next

year. All freshmen are required to live

on campus their first year, so many opt

out of continuing on-campus living.

Tara Laughlin, a studio art major and a

freshman last year, planned to live off-

campus her sophomore year.

“I’ve only lived in the dorms two

months, and I already miss the privacy

of my own room and my own bathroom,”

Laughlin said in 2015. “Living off-

campus just seems like the natural reso-

lution to all of these problems.”

The housing search itself can be

difficult, especially as a freshman.

“It was a lot of work to look up apart-

ments,” Laughlin said. “I did not want to

wait for the off-campus housing fair.”

Others find the search for off-campus

housing easier. Genevieve Gural, who was

a junior mechanical engineering major

last year, spent the 2015–2016 academic

school year living in Foxridge after

spending her first two years in Hypatia, the

engineering living-learning community

for women. She found Foxridge through

her roommates and, in 2015, was planning

to stay there for her senior year.

“Foxridge is pretty inexpensive, fairly

quiet and the commute isn’t difficult

because I have a car,” Gural said in 2015.

“The apartment is nice and decently

sized. Everyone (at Foxridge) seems really

responsive — if you have a question or a

maintenance request, they’re on top of it.”

Another popular living choice is The

Edge. Known for its close proximity

to campus, The Edge offers amenities

including a heated swimming pool, a

fitness center and a student center.

“I like that it’s so close to campus,” said

Patrick Brew, a mechanical engineering

major who was a junior last year. “One

time we were working on a project, and

I was hungry, so I went home for about 25

minutes to eat and came back.”

Only a little farther away lies The

Village. Alex Strathdee, a economics

and finance major who was a sophomore

in 2015, was drawn to The Village by its,

“Good amenities, large living space and

convenient bus routes.”

Each housing option offers some-

thing unique. Many popular off-campus

housing options are a quick bus ride away

from campus, making it easy to get home

and back. The housing search may be

overwhelming, but with a little research,

the right place can be found.

FoxridgeLocation: 2 miles from campus, off of Prices Fork Road

Layout & Rate: one-, two-, three- or four-bedroom apartments with or without dens, about $400 per person

Washer/Dryer: offers on-site laundry facilities in each building

Pet Policy: pet-friendly community

Roommate Search: offers roommate matching services in office or online

Utilities: rent includes gas heat, gas to heat water and trash removal

Internet: high-speed Internet connections are included in all apartments

Terrace ViewLocation: less than a mile away, on Hunt Club Road

Layout & Rate: one-, two-, three- or four-bedroom apartments and townhomes, ranges from $385–$919

Washer/Dryer: option to have included, most build-ings have a laundry facility

Pet Policy: pet-friendly community

Utilities: includes DIRECTV, water, sewer, trash with an option to include heat and hot water

Internet: high-speed Internet included

AMANDA TINKLEMANlifestyles staff writer

see OPTIONS / page 11

When it comes to apartment hunting, freshmen and seniors alike can fi nd themselves in stressful spots;

these Hokies share their stories and experiences with fi nding their new homes away from home.

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The departure from on-campus dining

With some of the best dining halls in the

country, Virginia Tech makes it easy to have

what you want when you want it. It’s as easy

as swiping your Hokie Passport without a

second thought of how much you spent or

how many calories you are about to indulge.

However, when freshman year comes to

a close and sophomores move off campus

to make way for new freshmen, we are

suddenly transported back to a reality

where sirloin steaks and Qdoba burritos are

not already prepped and waiting for us after

our 5 p.m. class ends.

Instead, we are faced with a new occur-

rence that many of us have never dealt with,

even when living with our parents: cooking.

When living on campus, even if you

choose to get a meal plan, you will at some

point have to cook. There won’t always

be time to run on campus for a breakfast

sandwich before your 8 a.m. or on Saturday

nights when you have the munchies.

Before you transition, here are some tips

I learned the hard way on how to alter your

eating habits from dorm living to apartment

living.

1. Budget

After living with a meal plan, it is easy

to forget how expensive food actually is. I

recommend creating a weekly grocery list

of necessities with a target budget. When

you go to the store, follow this list and only

this list; don’t let cravings cause you to

overspend.

I also recommend getting the Kroger

app. You can connect it with your Kroger

member card, and it often has special sales

for crucial items like toilet paper and yogurt

that aren’t open to the public. It also has a

free Friday item, which is always a nice

surprise!

Another great budget app for grocery

shopping includes iBotta. The app allows

you to take a photo of your receipt and

receive cash back rebates for specific items.

The items change on a weekly basis and

can range from basic items like Kroger

brand milk to luxury items such as Clinique

foundation.

2. Food Prep

During the week, you will not have time

to cook. You might think you have time,

you might block out time specifically for

cooking, but when that time comes around,

you won’t cook.

It’s hard to come home late at night from

classes and cook a warm, filling meal, so

instead block out time for food prep on the

weekend. It can be as easy as cooking a

whole lot of pasta or grilling several turkey

burgers to warm up again later.

One of the best ways to food prep is with a

crockpot. You can put all of the ingredients

in before classes, turn it on for four to eight

hours, and by the time you come home, you

will have a hot meal waiting for you.

3. Frozen Meals

After coming down from the freshman

15, sophomores think that having to buy

their own food means they will make better

choices and buy healthier options. While

you may do this for the first couple of weeks,

by the time mid-semester hits, your freezer

will probably be filled with frozen meals.

They are cheap, they are fast and, let’s

face it, some of them are actually really

good. But they aren’t always the best. When

choosing frozen meals, I advise avoiding

the ones with heavy sauces. “Chicken with

pasta and pesto” might not sound too bad,

but it’s the cream and the sugar in the pesto

that will get you.

I have found the best options are Healthy

Choice’s Steamers. While a tad pricier than

other frozen meals, they offer the best range

of healthy options. I would also recommend

buying bags of frozen veggies. You can get

your servings of vegetables by just popping

it in the microwave or in a skillet without all

the chopping.

4. Sharing

When living in the dorms, you have

already learned how to share with one

roommate. But when living in an apartment,

you suddenly have to share a space and a

fridge among as many as five people.

I have had roommates who are very

relaxed about sharing food and others who

have hidden food and even left post-it notes

on their stuff. It is important when moving

in to discuss sharing food so that you know

where everyone stands on the subject. If a

roommate doesn’t want to share, you have

to respect that.

Splitting up the kitchen is a great place to

start. Have everyone get a cabinet or shelf

for just his or her stuff while also having a

shelf for things that everyone can use, like

spices. The fridge can be tricky since most

don’t come with four separate shelves.

You can try your best to split up the

space evenly, but in some cases, it may

just be easier to put your name on the item.

Explain to your roommates that you are

not labeling it to be passive-aggressive but

just so you know which one is theirs so you

don’t accidentally use it. It is important to

show your roommates that you respect their

belongings just as much as they should

respect yours.

The transition from home cooking to a

dining service is hard, but I have found that

transitioning back to home cooking can be

even tougher. I hope these tips will make

that switch just a smidge easier. Happy

eating, Hokies!

ANDREA PAPPASeditor in chief

COURTESY OF KROGER AND IBOTTA@CollegiateTimes

Moving off campus gives you plenty to think about, but nothing may be as pressing as how to feed yourself. Here’s a handy guide.

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If you are anything like me, you

probably have numerous boards on

Pinterest dedicated to every hobby. From

fun recipes, to game-day apparel, to

apartment decor, you can pin anything —

and I am definitely guilty of doing so.

One of my favorite boards is my dorm

board from last year. Moving into a dorm

can be intimidating: the blank white

walls, the empty cabinets, the shelves just

waiting to be decorated. I know that I did

not completely decorate my room until the

third week of school.

Here are a few ideas to cover those blank

walls and spice up the shelves in order to

make your dorm as comfy as possible.

Paint your initial

The only things you need are a wooden

letter, some acrylic paint and some

creativity. Last year before school started,

my friend and I went to Target on a crafting

craze. We came across these wooden block

letters and decided to customize them.

Last year, I hung up my blue and teal, “A”

on the wall, claiming my side of the room

— even though my roommate’s name

started with, “A,” too.

This year, I went ahead and bought my

three apartment-mates their own letters.

We each have customized them based on

our rooms and they hang proudly on each

of our doors. By searching sorority letters

on Pinterest, you will find endless ideas to

decorate your own letters.

Lights

My favorite way to make a room more

homey is to just hang up Christmas lights.

Command hooks will be your best friend

— make sure to use them in order to not

mark up the walls. I hung my bulb lights

from Target over my poster to create a cool

glow.

If you want to be extra crafty (and

maybe save a few dollars), you can make

your own bulb lights. All you need are

some old Christmas lights, a number

of ping-pong balls and an Xacto knife.

Carefully cut a small “x” in a ping-pong

ball, then push the light through the x as

far as it will go. Repeat the process with

the rest of the lights, and then you’re ready

to hang them up!

Dry-erase boards

Dry-erase boards are some of my

favorite room accessories. I am constantly

leaving myself notes here and there — why

not do it in style? Just take an old picture

frame or a cheap one from the store, put

in a piece of colored paper instead of a

picture (or use a paint sample like I did).

Then, put everything back together and

you have an erase board! Just write on the

glass with a dry-erase marker and you’re

good to go.

Key holder

I think the easiest thing to lose your

freshman year is your key (or at least based

on my personal experience). And if your

Hokie Passport is attached, it’s doubly as

tragic to lose it. Keep track of your key

and your roommates’ keys with this cute

DIY key holder. All you need is a wooden

board with some hooks in it. Then you can

customize it however you please — you

can add a custom slogan like some of my

friends did.

Bookshelves and desk hutches

One final idea to save space is to create

DIY bookshelves and desk hutches.

“Something my friends did in their

dorms was using wooden crates from

Michael’s that were super cheap,”

said Madison Cameron, a sophomore

mechanical engineering major. “You pack

all your stuff in the crates in your car, then

when you move in, you just stack the crates

into a bookshelf!”

These crates are perfect for painting

with acrylic paints in whatever fashion

you want. You can also use them on your

desk for a DIY desk hutch.

I hope these ideas inspire you to dress

up your dorm a bit more.

From dorm to home: DIY your spaceAMANDA TINKLEMAN

lifestyles staff writer

AMANDA TINKLEMAN / COLLEGIATE TIMES

@mandatink

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Maple Ridge

Location: about 2 miles from campus

Layout & Rate: two-bedroom — luxury $400, deluxe $480, premier $495, three-bedroom — luxury $440, premier $470, four-bedroom — luxury $465, premier $475

Washer/Dryer: included

Pet Policy: not allowed

Roommate Search: not offered

Utilities: trash removal

Internet: not included

University

Terrace

Location: about 1 mile from campus, off of Progress Street

Layout & Rate: four-bed-room, two-bath from $975

Washer/Dryer: included in unit

Pet Policy: permitted

Utilities: sewer, trash and water

Internet: not included

Collegiate

Suites

Location: about 1.5 miles from campus

Layout & Rate: four-bed-room $430, two-bedroom $480, one-bedroom suite $590

Washer/Dryer: included

Pet Policy: not allowed

Utilities: electic central heat, A/C

Internet: not included

The VillageLocation: less than a mile from campus, on Patrick Henry Drive

Layout & Rate: four-bed-room, two-bath $545, two-bedroom, one-bath $590

Washer/Dryer: in unit

Pet Policy: no pets except fish in small tanks approved by manage-ment

Roommate Search: room-mate matching available

Utilities: water/sewer (Village West), trash removal included

Internet: super high-speed Internet included with bandwidth up to one gigabit

The Edge

Location: about 0.2 miles from campus

Layout & Rate: two-, three-, four-bedroom apartments from $719, four-bedroom townhomes $770

Washer/Dryer: included in unit

Pet Policy: not allowed

Pheasant Run

Location: about 1.5 miles from campus

Layout & Rate: four bedrooms, from $1600

Washer/Dryer: included in unit

Pet Policy: permitted

Utilities: varies per property

Internet: Ethernet connections

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