As a student looking at USF apartments, you may be thinking about how you are going to decorate your new home. Some of us however just don't see the point in decorating, as many students see an apartment as more of a base of school operations. Those of us who do plan on decorating usually don't get too far before quitting, because we too become wrapped up in “pointlessness of it”.
So, why should we decorate if we might end up somewhere else next year? I'm sure this is a question many of you have asked yourself before, or may be asking yourself now as you are looking at apartments near USF. I too asked myself the same question.
When I was a student, I decided that for the last place I was going to live in, I was going to go all out and make the place my own. I moved in two weeks before school, and spent those two weeks making the place something I would be proud to show off, and would want to return to everyday. It took a lot of time and effort, but in the end it paid off.
My friends wanted to come to my place. They told me how lucky I was to have a place that was so much my own, and how they wished that they had done it. Living in complexes like the apartments near USF, they didn't realize how much they missed having a real home of their own until they saw mine. What I mean by this is that a home is more than just a place with your bed and your desk, you need to make it represent you.
I knew that what they were saying was true, as my time in school while living there was a different, better experience. I felt less home sick, and more of a part of the city I was living in. I could look around at the work I had done and feel a sense of accomplishment. I had made a home that suited my needs and represented me.
My home became an important place to me like it had never been before in my college years; so much so that it was hard to move out. After my graduation, I made sure to take pictures of every room so that I would always be able to remember it. I wanted to be able to see the first real home that I made for myself.
You too can have the same experience in whichever of the USF apartments you choose to live in. Make big plans with your roommates and plan to follow through with them. Whether your apartment is furnished or unfurnished, I encourage you to go the extra mile to make the next place you live a true home. Don't give up and keep pushing through, I tell you now that it is worth it, but you will never know until you truly give it a try. Good luck and have fun.